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■"•. 


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UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
AT   LOS  ANGELES 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

Microsoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/folkloreofspringOObakeiala 


Folklore 

of 

Springfield 


Jfalklorr  nf  ^prinrjMfo 


By 
MARY  EVA  BAKER 


& 


Illustrated  by 
Russell  W.  Porter  and  Horace  S.  Brown 


Springfield,  Vermont 
1922 


Copyright.     1922 
by  M.  E.  Baker 


'ublishers 
Club   of   Springfield,    vt 

Printers 

riNG     CORP         SPBA5FIF      D         It 


3* 


3C 


SYB/7 


TO  THE 

General  Lewis  Morris  Chapter, 

Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution, 

Descendants  of  those  Heroes 

Whose  Fortitude  and  Patriotism 

is  Unparalleled  in  History 

and  to 

The  Altrurian  Club. 

That  so  Loyally  Serves  Its  Motto, 

"Not  for  Ourselves,  but  for  Others," 

These  Pages  are  Dedicated 


"Thy  work,  faithful  daughters,  is  noble  as  icise, 

"The  soul  with  its  love  is  aglow; 
"A  nation  will  hail  thee!  thine  own  hearts  approve, 

"And  thy  deeds  through  the  centuries  go." 


A    «  O*  ' 


Credit  is  due  the  Misses  Grace  and 
Alice  Wheeler,  Mrs.  Mary  Townsend  Bow- 
en,  Miss  Edna  I.  Lockwood,  Clarence  E. 
Morse.  H.  G.  Tupper  and  E.  W.  Barnard 
for  some  of  the  incidents  found  in  this 
book;  also  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Everett  Eaton  for 
help  in  tracing  certain  subjects. 


Contents 


PAGE    NO. 

I.     Making  a  Wilderness  Into  a  Township 1 

II.     How  a  Swamp  Became  the  Village  Square 7 

III.  The  Common  and  Incidents  Connected  With  It  ...  .     17 

IV.  Old  Bridges   24 

V.     The  Romance  of  the  Trees 32 

VI.     Old  Weathervanes  and  Old  Bells 39 

VII.     Revolutionary  Heroes 43 

VIII.     Early  Days  of  Slavery 62 

IX.     Early  Artists  and  Writers  of  Springfield 67 

X.     Old  Taverns 74 

XI.     Old  Schools 81 

XII.     An  Original  Crown  Point  Marker 116 

XIII.  Folklore  Tales 120 

XIV.  Early  Inventors  of  Springfield 151 

XV.     Thumb  Nail  History 154 

XVI.     Our  State  and  Governor's  Flags   175 


List  of  Illustrations 


PAGE  NO. 

Spencer  Hollow   1 

First  Home  of  Jennison  Barnard  in  Eureka  District 4 

The  Old  Grist  Mill  Dam 7 

W.  H.  Wheeler's  Store,  Built  About  1800 9 

Mansion  Hill  as  it  Appeared  in  1800 12 

The  First  Methodist  Church,  Built  in  1806 13 

\  illage  Square  and  Bandstand  Ahout  1860 15 

Approach  to  Springfield  from  the  North 17 

Old  Wooden  Cheshire  Bridge.  Built  Ahout  1800 26 

Isaac  Fisher  Bridge — Better  Known  as  White's  Bridge  ...  30 

Maples  on  Camp  Hill 32 

The  Colburn  Elm,  Over  120  Years  Old 33 

Patriarch  Buttonwood  of  1  10  Years 34 

Gabriel  Weathervane 39 

Weathervane  on  Old  Cab  Shop 40 

Old  Bell,  Moulded  in   1758 — Hung  in   Cotton  Factory  in 

1836 41 

Old  Cider  Mill  at  Hardscrabble 62 

Old  Trip  Hammer  Shop,  Fields  Mill    67 

Old  Springfield  House — Torn  Down  1891    78 

Springfield  Wesleyan  Seminary 109 

Original  Crown  Point  Marker.  Placed  in  1760 116 

1  760  Crown  Point  Marker  Restored 117 

The  Old  Ezikel  Whitcomb  Residence 120 

Kettle  Used  by  Ashabel  Draper  in  his  Serenade  to  Father 

Smiley  and  Bride 123 

Stencil  Tool  Works  of  A.  J.  Fullam 132 

First  Frame  House  in  Town  of  Springfield 137 

\^  orkshop  of  Daniel  Field    113 

\  ermont  State  Flag   175 

First  State  Seal.  Used  Until   1821    1  77 

Present  State  Seal    1  77 


Foreword 

At  the  urgent  request  of  the  friends  most  interested  in 
these  pages,  we  will  state  briefly  why  we  built  the  book. 

As  a  child  nothing  was  more  alluring  to  me  than  the  tales 
my  elders  had  to  tell  of  "when  I  was  young  and  the  country 
new."  My  interest  in  all  these  brought  invitations  to  see  the 
old  furniture,  dishes  and  handiwork  of  the  kinds  that  had  been 
handed  down  through  the  generations.  Sometimes  it  took  me 
to  an  old  attic,  and  haircloth  trunks  with  brass  nails,  and  the 
initials  of  the  owners  set  with  these  nails  through  the  center  of 
the  cover,  and  it  seemed  to  me  the  possession  of  such  a  treas- 
ure would  be  the  height  of  untold  wealth.  Again  I  went  to  the 
old  corner  cupboards,  and  soon  learned  that  the  top  shelf  of 
these  cupboards  was  a  sacred  spot  where  the  choicest  treasures 
were  kept.  Sometimes  I  was  invited  to  look  only  on  the  lower 
shelves,  as  those  were  for  such  as  poor  me. 

Blessed  with  grandparents  and  an  abundance  of  great- 
aunts  and  uncles,  much  of  my  early  life  was  spent  with  people 
older  than  myself,  and  there  was  engraved  on  my  mind  such 
a  deep  interest  in  these  stories  of  olden  times  that  nothing 
could  efface  it.  I  would  leave  my  play  at  any  time  to  listen.  I 
remember  well  as  a  girl  sitting  in  breathless  silence  when  an 
old  man  (who  was  a  stage  driver  across  the  Green  mountains) 
used  to  come  to  see  my  father,  and  many  were  the  tales  he  told 
of  encounters  with  wild  animals  and  narrow  escapes  when  the 
snow  was  20  feet  deep.  All  these  things  but  increased  my 
desire  to  know  more  of  the  days  of  my  ancestors. 

In  early  years  when  I  came  to  make  my  home  in  Spring- 
field, it  was  such  a  rich  field  to  explore  no  time  was  lost.  There 


was  a  goodly  number  of  older  people  ranging  from  75  to  98 
and  many  were  the  quaint  tales  they  told.  These,  with  hun- 
dreds of  letters  containing  other  threads  of  history,  filled  my 
mind  so  full  that  1  began  to  bubble  over  to  others  about  the 
treasures  secured,  only  to  be  confronted  with  the  question: 
"Why  don't  you  write  it  into  a  book?"  It  is  to  be  regretted 
that  the  pictures  in  my  mind  of  the  dear  faces  of  all  those  who 
told  me  of  the  past  with  such  interest  could  not  be  portrayed. 
One  old  man  who  came  to  see  me  said,  "We  older  people  have 
watched  for  your  coming  a  long  time  that  we  might  pass  on  to 
you  what  our  fathers  told  us   before  it  was  too  late." 

It  is  with  keen  regret  my  pen  is  laid  down  and  the  pages 
of  this  book  are  closed.  Collecting  its  material  has  been  a 
labor  of  love  that  has  spanned  more  than  20  years,  and  the 
book  is  a  tribute  of  esteem  and  deep  regard  to  those  who  toiled 
so  faithfully  to  do  their  part  in  making  this  beautiful  spot  we 
love  so  well  a  township. 

M.   EVA   BAKER 
Dated  at  Springfield,  Vermont, 
this  1st  da v  of  March,  1922 


Introduction 


It  is  a  pleasure  to  comply  with  the  request  to  write  an 
introductory  note  to  Miss  Bakers  book  of  historic  events,  but 
the  introduction  must  necessarily  take  on  a  personal  character. 

We  have  all  found  instances  of  cheerfulness  and  inspira- 
tion being  radiated  by  those  who  are  physically  handicapped. 
Many  globe-trotters  know  less  of  the  globe  than  some  of  our 
"shut-ins.''  For  long  years  Miss  Baker  has  been  a  "shut-in" 
physically,  but  her  mind  and  heart  have  never  been  limited 
by  the  walls  of  her  home. 

The  keenness  of  her  interest  in  many  subjects,  particular- 
ly the  matter  of  preserving  a  record  of  these  historic  events, 
has  made  her  life  one  of  great  inspiration.  It  has  also  been  a 
great  inspiration  to  others  who  have  had  a  large  measure  of 
the  world's  opportunities. 

Since  history,  after  all,  resolves  itself  into  a  record  of  the 
functioning  of  brain  and  heart,  as  well  as  work  of  hands,  I 
feel  that  no  history  of  Springfield  can  be  complete  that  does 
not  in  some  way  indicate  the  value  of  Miss  Baker's  life,  which 
has  been  a  center  continually  radiating  a  cheerfulness  and  an 
enthusiasm  that  have  made  better  and  happier  all  the  lives 
which  have  come  within  her  influence. 

JAMES  HARTNESS 
Springfield,  Vermont  Governor 

February  22.  1922 


Springfield  Folklore 


In  this  little  volume  an  effort  has  been 
made  to  gather  up  the  dropped  stitches  in 
Springfield's  history,  and  with  a  thread  of 
romance  weave  a  tale  of  folklore;  with  the 
hope  that  certain  facts  and  dates  will  stand 
out  so  clearly  that  our  children  will  be  in- 
terested to  tell  their  grandchildren,  and  thus 
keep  ever  bright  the  record  of  the  lives  and 
deeds  of  those  who  worked  with  untiring 
effort  in  those  early  days  to  build  well  a 
foundation  which  should  hold  true  to  the 
line  down  through  the  generations  to  follow. 


'•Si    •: 


CHAPTER    I 


Making  a  Wilderness  Into  a 
Township 

Springfield,  fair  daughter  of  Vermont, 

Cradled  among  hills, 
Whose  charm  the  heart 

With  rapture  thrills. 

TREAD  where  you  will  in  the  Green  Mountain  state,  seldom 
will  you  find  scenes  of  such  wonderful   natural   beauty 
and    historic     interest    combined      as     one     beholds     in 
Springfield.    Just  gray   ribbons  of   road  lying   softly   between 
hills  of  green,  so  full  of  green  there  is  hardlv  a  hint  of  the 


Folklore  of  Springfield 


usual  brown  of  the  woods  in  them — till  you  feel  you  are  pass- 
ing through  a  veritable  aisle  of  some  softly  carved  temple  of 
the  out-of-doors. 

Turn  back  with  me,  if  you  will,  to  the  days  when  Spring- 
field was  a  wilderness  and  glance  at  some  of  the  incidents 
connected  with  its  first  existence.  History  and  tradition  have 
made  us  more  or  less  familiar  with  the  Indian  trails  through 
this  part  of  the  state  over  which  the  Indians  passed  to  and  fro 
to  scenes  of  greater  activities. 

The  whole  of  this  part  of  the  country  had  from  time  im- 
memorial been  in  possession  of  the  native  Indians.  It  does  not 
appear  that  they  resided  here  in  great  numbers,  although  the 
forests  were  well  stocked  with  game,  the  streams  abounded  in 
excellent  fish,  and  salmon  in  abundance  were  in  the  rivers.  All 
these  would  have  furnished  food  for  a  large  number. 

Lying  as  it  did,  on  the  frontier  of  several  powerful  tribes 
who  were  incessantly  at  war  with  each  other,  it  was  constantly 
exposed  from  every  quarter.  It  was  in  passing  over  their  trails 
in  this  vicinity  that  the  Indians  discovered  the  falls  in  the 
Black  river,  which  had  a  great  attraction  for  them.  They  came 
long  distances  to  see  the  water  as  it  pours  over  the  rocks  into 
the  pocket  under  what  is  now  the  Falls  bridge.  This  they  called 
'"Comtu"  (  great  noise  l . 

While  there  are  no  bloody  battles  to  record  and  no  over- 
whelming defeats  to  lament,  it  was  an  unguarded  frontier  un- 
safe for  occupancy,  constantly  crossed  and  recrossed  by  armed 
parties  of  whites  and  marauding  Indians,  who  were  liable  at 
any  time  to  overrun  the  country.  It  can  readily  be  seen  that 
the  same  cause  which  prevented  its  becoming  a  permanent 
home   for   the    red   men     prevented    its   settlement    by    civilized 


Making    a    Wilderness    Into    a    Township 

people.  Before  1750  a  branch  of  the  Abenaqui  Indians  located 
on  French  Meadows.  This  is  the  first  account  we  have  of  any 
Indians  settling  here  for  any  length  of  time. 

As  early  as  1752,  Governor  Benning  Wentworth  of  New 
Hampshire  attempted  to  survey  and  lay  out  two  townships  on 
the  Connecticut  river,  in  the  vicinity  of  what  is  now  the  town 
of  Springfield,  but  was  so  repulsed  by  the  Indians  the  project 
was  given  up.  In  that  same  year  came  John  Nott  and,  with  his 
clever  scheme  of  using  his  half-breed  Indian  wife  as  an  en- 
trance wedge,  he  visited  the  tribe  on  French  Meadows.  He  was 
invited  to  smoke  the  pipe  of  peace  and  remained  there  all  win- 
ter, the  Indians  always  maintaining  the  most  friendly  relations 
with  him. 

With  the  exception  of  a  small  settlement  made  in  Spring- 
field in  1753,  no  settlement  was  made  in  Windsor  county  until 
after  Canada  was  subdued  by  the  British  in  1760.  But  in  their 
expeditions  against  the  French  the  English  colonists  had  made 
themselves  acquainted  with  the  fertility  and  value  of  the  land, 
and  at  the  close  of  hostilities  it  was  eagerly  sought  for  by  set- 
tlers. 

To  this  soil  came  a  strong  people,  men  and  women,  too, 
whose  hearts  beat  warm  and  true  for  the  principles  of  civil 
liberty  and  civil  government.  Coming  as  they  did  from  Massa- 
chusetts and  Connecticut,  they  had  traveled  through  an  unbrok- 
en wilderness,  infested  with  savages,  to  conquer  not  only  all 
that  is  wild  in  nature,  but  to  contend  with  a  rigorous  climate. 

They  were  no  mere  adventurers,  but  actual  home-makers, 
whose  only  belongings  were  a  few  domestic  animals,  an  axe 
and  a  plow.  The  habitations  they  built  were  log  cabins.  One 
writer  says  of  these  early  pioneers,  "From  the  very  first  the 

3 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


people  of  Springfield  have  been  full  of  the  spirit  of  enterprise 
and  inventive  genius.  They  were  warm-hearted,  generous-mind- 
ed, self-reliant  pioneers,  and  many  of  their  descendants  have 
the  characteristics  of  that  sturdv  race." 


FIRST  HOME  OF  JENNISON    BARNARD   IN   EUREKA   DISTRICT 


When  Lord  Amherst  came  in  1760  to  build  the  Crown 
Point  road,  a  long  stride  was  made  towards  opening  up  ihis 
part  of  the  country.  While  in  these  days  it  would  scarcely  be 
called  much  more  than  a  wood  road,  for  it  was  narrow  and 
rough  we  arc  told,  it  was  a  road  closely  following  the  old  In- 
dian trail  to  Lake  Champlain  and  a  much  shorter  route  for 
the  troops  to  reach  Canada. 

General  Goffe,  with  a  regiment  of  800  men  from  New 
Hampshire,  was  sent  by  Lord  Amherst  to  build  the  road  in  the 
summer  of  1700.  and  our  friend  John  Nott  was  the  ferrvman 
who  ferried  them  over.  Having  no  title  to  his  land,  he  was 
obliged   to  give   up   that   first    log   cabin    home     and   for   many 

I 


Making    a    Wilderness    Into    a    Township 

years  was  the  ferryman  at  Wentworth's  ferry.  Picture  him  if 
you  can,  a  dapper  little  man,  very  neat  in  appearance,  wearing 
smallclothes  and  knee  buckles,  ferrying  the  troops  over  at 
all  times,  day  or  night;  for  these  were  days  that  required  cour- 
age to  meet  the  foe  on  every  side. 

When  they  had  reached  this  side  of  the  Connecticut,  they 
first  built  the  Block  house  to  have  a  place  of  safety.  Too  much 
cannot  be  said  about  the  Block  house  that  it  may  remain  in  the 
remembrance  of  young  and  old.  While  there  never  were  any 
pictures  of  this  old  house,  thanks  to  Daniel  A.  Gill  a  descrip- 
tion of  it  was  firmly  impressed  on  the  minds  of  several 
persons. 

It  was  built  up  of  stone  16  feet,  then  of  hewn  logs  hang- 
ing over  four  feet  all  around,  with  four  port  holes  on  a  side, 
and  four  in  the  floor  made  by  the  jutting  logs,  through  which 
it  would  be  possible  to  fire  at  an  enemy  creeping  under  the 
projection  to  undermine  the  stonework.  The  roof  was  thatched 
with  bark.  The  timbers  show  that  the  holes  for  the  wooden 
pegs  were  burned  out  with  some  kind  of  a  heated  iron,  and  the 
door  was  made  of  logs  in  the  same  way.  with  leather  hinges. 
This  was  all  enclosed  by  a  picket  fence,  which  was  made  of 
logs  sharpened  and  set  in  the  ground  close  together.  As  there 
was  little  time  to  remove  the  bark  from  these  logs,  when  it  was 
dry  enough  to  peel,  here  and  there,  the  Indians  often  set  fire  to 
it.  To  overcome  this  alarming  disaster,  the  ingenious  white 
man  made  something  closely  akin  to  the  small  boy's  squirt  gun, 
only  on  a  larger  scale.  A  log  was  chosen  which,  when  a  por- 
tion of  the  inside  was  removed,  held  about  two  pails  of  water. 
A  wooden  plunger  was  made,  and  with  the  aid  of  this,  by  put- 

5 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


ting  the  end  of  the  log  out  of  the  port  hole,  a  stream  of  water 
could  be  sent  directly  on  the  blazing  bark. 

After  completing  the  Block  house,  General  Goffe  and  his 
men  were  44  days  cutting  the  road  through  to  the  foot  of  the 
Green  mountains,  where  it  joined  the  portion  which  was  built 
the  year  before.  Rejoining  their  army  July  31,  1760,  they 
marched  to  Canada,  leaving  behind  a  lasting  monument  to 
their  memory  and  a  historic  heirloom  to  all  the  generations 
following. 


T*« 

&*UT     /llul.     BAH 

— i 

Muift — 

CHAPTER     II 


How  a  Swamp  Became  the 
Village  Square 

IN  1772  Col.  John  Barrett  owned  the  whole  of  the  present 
village  site,  and  in  that  year  he  sold  to  William  Lock- 
wood  the  portion  on  the  west  side  of  the  river.  The  latter 
built  a  log  cabin  near  the  falls,  and  soon  after  a  sawmill.  Later 
he  built  a  blockhouse  near  the  residence  of  Dr.  H.  H.  Law- 
rence on  Park  street.  He  and  his  sons  cleared  up  the  land, 
sawed  lumber  for  buildings,  and  erected  a  gristmill  on  the  west 
side  of  the  river.  Later  he  bought  a  portion  of  land  on  Sum- 
mer street,  which  included  the  cemetery,  and  deeded  the  latter 
to  the  town  in  1793. 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


The  bits  of  history  herein  related  do  not  all  appear  in 
hooks,  but  were  handed  down  in  oft-repeated  tales  from  gen- 
eration to  generation.  When  Daniel  Howe  and  his  wife,  Eliza- 
beth (Patch)  Howe,  came  to  Springfield  from  Fitzwilliam,  N. 
H.,  in  the  spring  of  1795,  he  left  to  us  the  record  of  his  first 
impression  of  Main  street  and  the  square. 

From  the  present  site  of  the  Methodist  church  to  the  bridge 
at  the  foot  of  Main  street  was  a  swamp,  the  banks  above  be- 
ing full  of  springs.  Where  the  hotel  now  stands  the  swamp 
contained  logs  and  stumps  from  decayed  trees.  The  brook  that 
flows  under  Main  street  from  Valley  street  at  that  time  emptied 
into  the  river  near  Wheeler's  store.  Great  pine  and  hemlock 
trees  came  to  the  bank  of  the  river,  which  rolled  along  with 
great  power  and  grandeur  undisturbed  by  the  hand  of  man. 
To  Mr.  Howe  it  was  a  most  unpromising  location  for  a  village. 

In  1791  William  Griffith  built  the  first  frame  house  in  the 
village,  on  the  river  bank  near  the  Episcopal  church.  This  was 
swept  away  in  the  freshet  of  1869. 

Messrs.  Fling,  Lewis  and  Seymour  built  a  gristmill  in 
1795  on  the  site  of  the  present  mill  back  of  the  fire  station. 
A  little  log  house  was  put  up  near  the  fountain  in  the  square 
for  the  miller.  At  the  same  time  Samuel  Lewis  built  a  house 
where  F.  G.  Ellison  now  lives,  and  after  many  years  it  was  cut 
in  two  and  moved  up  on  Valley  street,  where  it  became  the 
Jackman  and  Proctor  houses.  His  office  and  woodshed  were 
across  the  road  in  the  block  where  Dr.  C.  W.  Locke  now  lives. 
and  a  very  small  house  was  on  the  site  of  the  present  hotel. 
This  was  all  there  was  in  the  square  up  to  1800.  There  were 
no  roads,  onlv  bridle  paths,  and  freight  was  carried  on  ox- 
sleds  or  drairs. 


How    a    Swamp    Became    the    Village    Square 

The  oldest  building  in  the  centre  of  the  village  and  a  most 
familiar  landmark  to  us,  is  known  as  Wheeler's.  The  first  ac- 
count we  have  of  its  existence,  Daniel  Houghton  dammed  the 
brook  and  built  a  shop  to  make  spinning  wheels.  Previous  to 
1800  Samuel  M.  Lewis  had  a  shop  there.  It  was  next  used  by 
Mr.  Day  in  the  manufacture  of  hats.  Afterwards  it  was  used 
by  Mr.  Whipple,  who  moved  from  his  store  near  Mrs.  Franklin 
Barney's  place  on  Summer  street    to  this  old  building  on  the 


W.    H.    WHEELER'S   STORE,    BUILT    ABOUT    1800 
FIRST  FRAME  BUILDING  IN  VILLAGE 

corner.  He  was  succeeded  by  John  Perkins,  who  disposed  of  his 
business  to  Miles  Duncan.  He  went  west,  and  Mr.  Perkins 
again  took  the  store  until  1845.  The  next  occupants  were  Adams 
&  Bundy,  who  made  several  changes  in  the  building,  using  it 
for  a  general  store.  Next  came  Charles  Sabin,  who  added  the 
drug  business.  The  building  was  purchased  by  Mr.  Sabin 
about  1850,  then  by  Noble  Crain  and  Frederick  Porter,  who 
added  jewelry  to  the  stock.    On  the  death  of  the  former,  Mr. 

9 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


Porter  carried  on  the  business  alone,  but  in  1854  W.  H.  Wheel- 
er became  a  partner,  and  from  1870  he  carried  it  on  alone. 

In  1784  a  small  house  was  put  up  by  Ichabod  Grimes  of 
Guilford,  Mass.,  on  the  site  of  the  Adnabrown  hotel.  Lease 
was  granted  him  by  William  Lockwood  for  10  years,  with  the 
understanding  that  he  should  entertain  all  who  came  to  see 
the  falls. 

In  1800  Col.  Jonathan  Williams  built  the  first  hotel  on 
Main  street,  and  in  1803  a  hat  shop  where  the  Leland  block 
now  stands.  The  hotel  was  a  small  affair  at  first  with  a  wing 
on  each  end,  and  the  nearby  brook  only  required  three  planks 
for  covering.  Wash  tubs  could  be  seen  here  and  there  along 
the  sides,  where  women  dipped  up  water  for  laundry  purposes. 
The  land  was  leased  from  William  Lockwood,  and  again  it  was 
stipulated  that  he  (Jonathan  Williams)  should  entertain  all  the 
people  who  came  to  see  the  falls.  They  attracted  a  great  deal 
of  attention  for  miles  around. 

As  we  turn  back  the  pages  of  history,  we  read  these  lines: 
"Born  in  Natick,  Mass.,  Nov.  5th,  1763,  Isaac  Fisher."  What 
follows  after  should  be  of  interest  to  us  all,  for  this  man  was 
closely  connected  with  our  early  days,  and  one  whom  we  know 
by  what  he  accomplished  in  developing  our  resources. 

In  1799  Isaac  Fisher  moved  to  Charlestown,  N.  H..  to 
follow  the  trade  of  carpenter.  In  1806.  a  most  eventful  year  in 
our  history,  he  built  the  first  bridge  across  the  Connecticut 
between  these  two  towns.  In  that  same  year  he  moved  to 
Springfield  and  bought  the  gristmill  of  John  White.  At  this 
time  the  only  road  to  Lockwood's  falls,  as  they  were  called. 
was  the  Crown  Point  road  to  the  farm  of  Arthur  Whitcomb, 
then   bv  the   Tower  place   (now   owned   by   A.  G.  Woolson)    to 

10 


How    a    Swamp    Became    the    Village    Square 

the  falls,  where  were  a  gristmill,  sawmill,  fulling  mill  and  a 
few  buildings. 

The  practical  eye  of  Isaac  Fisher  discovered  the  possibili- 
ties here  for  business  enterprise.  He  was  not  discouraged 
by  the  obstacles  to  be  overcome  as  nature  opposed  the  improve- 
ments of  men.  He  bought  land  and  rights  until  he  controlled 
nearly  the  whole  water  power  of  the  falls.  He  surveyed, 
planned  and  built  the  system  of  dams  by  which  the  water  is 
made,  over  and  over,  to  turn  the  wheels  of  industry. 

Within  the  year,  1806,  he  had  the  road  surveyed  from 
Cheshire  bridge  up  Black  river  to  North  Springfield  and  built 
a  bridge  at  the  latter  place.  In  1809,  when  the  miller  went  to 
sleep  and  let  the  grist  run  out,  setting  the  mill  on  fire,  Isaac 
Fisher  said  to  the  farmers,  "The  machinery  is  left;  bring  your 
grists  in  one  week  and  I  will  grind  them."  True  to  his  word, 
the  seventh  day  the  mill  was  running  again. 

He  built  the  "Tontine,"  now  the  Commonwealth  or  Spar- 
row block,  for  his  residence.  It  was  called  "The  Mansion," 
from  which  Mansion  Hill  receives  its  name.  It  was  a  fine 
house  for  the  times,  but  its  comeliness  long  since  disappeared 
before  the  enlargements  and  additions  of  other  hands.  The 
writer  often  has  heard  the  older  people  tell  of  Mrs.  Fisher's 
well-kept  garden  and  lawn,  which  extended  down  Main  street 
almost  to  the  present  Bank  block,  with  a  beautiful  white  rose 
bush  trained  on  the  wall  at  the  rear  of  the  garden,  back  of 
where  the  lunch  cart  now  stands. 

They  must  have  water  for  the  home,  and  Isaac  Fisher  dug 
a  well  in  front  of  his  residence,  now  the  center  of  the  square, 
and  a  pump  made  by  Steven  Hasham,  a  descendant  of  Captive 
Johnson,  was  placed  in  it.    Later  this  became  the  town  pump 

11 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


and  was  used  as  such  until  '52  or  '53.  Mr.  Sparrow's  original 
deed  included  the  land  in  the  square  nearly  to  the  hotel.  Ansel 
Coburn  went  down  into  the  well  several  times  and  said  the 
stones  were  much  larger  than  generally  used  for  such  purposes. 


MANSION  HILL  AS  IT  APPEARED  IN   1800 

When  Isaac  Fisher's  daughter  married  a  Chase,  he  (Isaac 
Fisher  I  built  the  Chase  block  for  her  home.  This  is  now  the 
Mckinley  block.  For  his  sou  he  built  the  small  house  that 
William  Wheeler  owned,  at  the  top  of  the  bank,  just  back 
of  the  block:  all  going  to  the  old  well  for  water. 

Father  Smiley  said  at  Isaac  Fishers  funeral:  *"He  was 
leader  in  all  the  village  improvements,  and  the  town  was  in- 
debted to  him  more  than  to  anv  other  one  man  for  its  prosper- 
ous beginning.'' 

In    1800  the  Methodist  people  decided  to  build  a  place  of 

12 


How    a    Swamp    Became    the    Village    Square 


worship  of  their  own.  They  selected  a  site  on  the  brow  of 
Seminary  Hill,  but  the  church  was  not  completed  until  1825. 
The  first  pastor  was  a  circuit  rider.  On  one  occasion,  being 
much  fatigued  with  his  long  horseback  ride  through  the  woods, 
he  took  a  nap  on  the  bench  back  of  the  pulpit,  while  the  people 
waited,  and  the  story  goes  he  snored  lustily.  After  the  nap  he 
arose  and  preached  with  unusual  vigor.  But  times  have 
changed,  and  now  the  pastor  waits,  while  the  people  sleep. 


THE  FIRST  METHODIST  CHURCH,   BUILT  IN   1806— USED  AS 
WESLEYAN  SEMINARY  FROM   1846   TO   1866 

In  1846,  when  the  new  church  was  built  at  the  head  of 
Main  street,  the  old  church  became  the  Wesleyan  seminary. 
In  partial  payment  for  this  a  mortgage  was  given,  covering  one- 
half  the  vestry,  to  Samuel  Taylor,  who  furnished  and  drew 
the  stone  from  his  farm,  more  familiarly  known  as  the  old 
Latham  place.  Much  to  the  annoyance  of  the  church  people, 
he  used  this  for  a  meat  market,  and  this  story  is  told  of  him: 
Having  a  keen  eye  for  business,  he  only  killed  half  a  beef 
creature  at  any  one  time  for  his  market. 

The  Methodist  clock  was  made  by  Steven  Hasham  in  1844 
and  was  first  used  with  a  spider  bell,  like  an  inverted  peach 

13 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


basket.  In  1866  or  '67  a  new  bell  was  purchased,  and  the 
clock  struck  so  fast  you  could  not  count  it.  A  longer  hammer 
was  bought  which  remedied  the  trouble.  Both  bells  were  pro- 
cured by  subscription.  One  man  on  Seminary  Hill  refused  to 
give  a  cent  toward  the  bell.  Those  most  interested  said  they 
did  not  want  any  hands  on  the  dial  facing  the  hill;  if  they 
could  fix  it  so  that  he  could  not  hear  the  clock  strike,  they 
would  do  so.  But  wiser  heads  predominated,  and  hands  were 
placed  on  three  sides. 

In  the  early  days  of  Springfield  there  was  an  old  post  road 
located  up  the  Connecticut  river  to  Windsor,  and  the  inhab- 
itants had  to  go  to  Charlestown,  N.  H.,  or  Weathersfield  Bow 
for  their  mail.  In  1817  a  postoffice  was  established  in  what  is 
now  Springfield  market  with  Judge  Porter  as  the  first  post- 
master. The  mail  carrier  route  was  from  Charlestown,  N.  H., 
to  Manchester,  Vt.,  once  a  week,  with  the  large  salary  of  $850 
a  year,  the  driver  furnishing  horses,  vehicle,  etc.,  and  carry- 
ing occasional  passengers.  All  farm  produce  and  other  things 
were  drawn  to  Boston  on  freight  teams  with  four,  six,  and 
eight  horses  attached. 

In  1821  a  stage  route  was  established  between  Charles- 
town. \.  H..  and  Manchester,  Vt.,  with  a  capital  of  $500  at 
810  per  share.  After  a  time  the  railroad  was  built  from  Boston 
to  Fitchburg,  and  the  people  thought  the  journey  much  shorter. 
Then  it  came  to  Keene  and  Walpole.  N.  H.,  and  for  a  number  of 
years  the  people  had  to  go  to  Tucker's  bridge  in  Bellows  Falls 
to  meet  the  Walpole  train,  for  there  was  no  road  on  this  side. 
Ilie  writer  has  often  heard  the  late  Amasa  Woolson  tell  of 
purchasing  a  sofa  in  Boston  that  came  up  on  the  freight  teams 
and  twelve  miles  of  the  distance  it  was  drawn  bv  oxen. 


How    a    Swamp    Became    the    Village    Square 

Then  the  railroad  reached  Charlestown,  and  they  went 
over  to  meet  a  train  a  day.  Later  we  went  in  Concord  coaches 
to  meet  any  train  we  wished,  and  F.  G.  Ellison  looked  after 
our  comfort,  in  what  we  thought  such  a  hard  ride.  Mr.  Ellison 
paid  $1000  for  the  last  Concord  coach  used  on  the  stage  route. 


VILLAGE  SQUARE   AND  BANDSTAND  ABOUT   1860 

The  block  where  Dr.  C.  W.  Locke  now  lives  was  built  in 
1833.  and  it  is  so  recorded  on  the  stone  in  the  attic.  George 
Washburn  and  Daniel  Cushing  bought  the  land  of  Isaac  Fisher 
in  1832  and  built  the  block  the  next  year,  Daniel  Cushing  do- 
ing the  work.  Each  family  had  one-half  the  block,  the  whole 
of  which  was  valued  at  $5000,  as  it  was  the  first  block  of  any 
size  in  the  town.  Men  came  from  far  and  near  to  see  it  and  pass 

15 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


their  opinion  on  its  merits.  Mr.  Washburn  had  the  postoffice 
in  his  side  of  the  block  for  many  years. 

The  old  handstand  has  an  amusing  little  tale  to  tell. 
Many  years  since  there  was  a  spring  on  Mineral  street,  the 
water  of  which  was  supposed  to  he  very  beneficial  in  assisting 
nature  in  her  various  cures.  In  the  bright  summer  mornings 
such  estimable  ladies  as  Mrs.  Daniel  Rice,  Mrs.  B.  F.  Dana, 
Mrs.  Helen  (  Porter  I  Grain,  and  others  used  to  go  to  drink  of 
the  water.  Mr.  Rice,  acting  on  the  principle,  "If  a  little  is  good, 
more  would  be  better,"  built  a  summer  house,  where  the  ladies 
could  go  and  take  their  sewing    and  drink  freely  of  the  water. 

The  Glorious  Fourth  was  not  so  different  in  those  days 
from  the  present  time.  On  one  of  these  Fourths  some  of  the 
hoys,  wishing  to  celebrate,  hired  a  man  with  a  yoke  of  oxen 
and,  loading  the  summer  house  on  the  wagon,  started  for  the 
square.  But  it  proved  ~too  heavy,  and  after  much  persuasion 
Ellis  Eaton  allowed  four  of  his  freight  horses  to  be  used,  and 
the  load  was  safely  landed  in  the  center  of  the  square.  To  the 
great  surprise  of  the  boys  it  met  with  favor  and.  after  being 
somewhat  remodeled,  it  later  became  the  bandstand  and  was 
used  as  such  for  many  years.  Ansel  Goburn,  Sam  Chipman 
and  John  DeMary,  in  telling  this  story,  always  seemed  pleased 
that  thev  were  anion"  the  "boys"  that  night. 


16 


CHAPTER     III 


The  Common  and  Incidents 
Connected  With  It 

THE   story  of  the   first  meeting  house   in  Springfield   and 
the  story  of  the  Common  are  closely  interwoven,  hecause 
of  the  many  controversies  before  it  could  be  settled  just 
which  portion  of  the  land  should  be  used  for  said  house  of 
worship. 

The  early  settlers  of  Springfield  were  a  religious  people, 
and  long  before  a  church  was  organized,  when  no  man  left 
home  without  being  well  armed,  the  hardy  pioneers  gathered 
on  the  Sabbath  at  private  houses  for  worship.  These  meetings 
were  usuallv  held  at  Capt.  Joseph  Little's  place  (now  owned 
by  Norman  L.  Grow),  and  sermons  were  read  by  Lieut.  Hezeki- 
ah  Holmes. 

It  was  considered  a  duty  of  the  government  to  provide  for 
the  support  of  religious  worship.    The  majority  of  the  voters 

17 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


being  Congregationalists,  that  sect  was  supposed  to  constitute 
the  established  church  or  "standing  order."  and  all  taxpayers 
were  required  to  pay  their  share  of  the  expense. 

It  seems  that  in  the  days  of  the  early  settlement  of  the  town 
there  was  much  dissension  about  where  the  meeting  house 
should  be  built.  In  1781  it  was  voted  to  build  a  house  to  be  28 
by  26  feet  with  14  foot  posts,  on  Lieut.  Roger  Bates'  pea  ground 
I  formerly  the  Joseph  Little  place  ) .  After  the  frame  was  up  the 
work  stopped.  The  funds  were  not  forthcoming  to  pay  the 
bills,  and  the  bats  and  owls  were  left  in  undisputed  possession 
of  the  naked  frame  on  Bates'  pea  ground. 

Five  years  later  the  town  voted  to  build  a  house  40  by  56 
feet  on  the  corner  south  of  the  Capt.  George  Hubbard  farm 
I  now  known  as  the  Boothby  place).  Lumber  for  that  purpose 
was  brought  to  the  lot,  but  some  of  the  most  prominent  men 
foresaw  that  a  more  central  location  would  be  better  for  the 
whole  town  and  counseled  delay. 

September  1.  1789,  the  town  voted  to  build  a  house  10  by 
50  feet  on  James  Dumphrey's  flat,  the  present  Common,  and 
three  days  later  they  obtained  from  him  a  deed  of  about  two 
acres  of  land,  the  purchase  price  being  1  pounds  and  2  shil- 
lings, Deacon  Whitney  and  Abner  Bisbee  advancing  the  money. 
The  land  was  deeded  to  the  "inhabitants  and  the  future  inhabi- 
tants of  the  town  of  Springfield."  The  tract  extended  north  to 
about  the  present  line  of  Circular  street  and  was  soon  known 
as  the  "Meeting  House  Common.""  Two  years  later  a  little 
larger  tract  of  land  was  bought  of  Orsamus  Holmes,  surround- 
ing this  on  the  north  and  cast  sides,  extending  north  six  rods 
and  east  twelve  rods,  and  from  the  information  at  hand  it 
seems  probable  that  the  house  was  erected  on  the  east  side  <>t 
this  Holmes  lot. 

18 


The    Common    and    Incidents    Connected   With    It 

In  the  next  year,  1792,  the  outside  of  the  meeting  house 
was  finished,  and  on  May  7th  of  that  year  town  meeting  was 
held  there  for  the  first  time.  The  building  stood  on  rising 
ground  facing  the  cemetery,  near  what  is  now  the  corner  of 
Summer  Hill  and  Circular  streets.  The  building  committee 
submitted  bills  showing  the  cost  to  be  358  pounds,  1  shilling, 
8V2  pence. 

It  was  three  years  before  the  inside  of  the  house  was  fin- 
ished, but  services  were  held  Sunday  after  Sunday  when  there 
was  no  floor  even.  In  1794  and  '95  the  "pew  ground"  was  sold, 
pews  in  the  gallery  bringing  from  six  to  nine  pounds,  while 
Thomas  Barrett  paid  50  pounds  for  three  pews  in  the  body  of 
the  house.  It  was  at  this  time  also  that  the  town  succeeded  in 
effecting  an  exchange  of  land  with  Lester  Fling,  who  had  pur- 
chased a  lot  on  which  to  erect  a  tavern,  almost  under  the  eaves 
of  the  church,  but  who  was  finally  persuaded  to  build  his  tav- 
ern on  the  site  north  of  John  T.  Slack's  home.  This  tavern 
was  kept  open  for  many  years. 

In  1801  Robinson  Smiley  was  installed  as  the  first  settled 
minister  of  the  town.  The  warning  for  the  March  meeting  that 
year  included  an  article: 

"To  see  if  the  town  will  be  so  obliging  as  to  let  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  7th  school  district  build  a  schoolhouse  on  the  Meet- 
ing House  Common,"  and  it  was  voted  that  they  have  liberty 
to  build  one  on  the  northeast  corner  of  the  land  deeded  to  the 
town  by  Lester  Fling,  which  would  bring  the  schoolhouse  a 
little  more  than  100  feet  north  of  the  northeast  corner  of  the 
present  Common,  on  the  lot  of  E.  J.  Fullam.  Here  the  Hon. 
Justus  Dartt  taught  a  few  terms  of  school.    This  building  was 

19 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


burned,  and  the  second  schoolhouse,  a  frame  structure,  was 
built  on  the  south  end  of  the  Common. 

About  this  time  one  store,  two  blacksmith  shops,  a  church. 
a  powder  house,  a  tavern  and  a  shoe  shop,  besides  some  log 
houses,  all  had  their  period  of  flourishing  on  the  Common. 
The  powder  house  stood  about  in  front  of  W.  L.  Bryant's  house, 
and  the  store  near  the  old  hearse  house  on  the  north  side  of  the 
cemetery.  The  town  pound  was  on  the  west  side  of  the  Com- 
mon and  was  surrounded  by  a  plank  fence  about  12  feet  high, 
and  into  this  enclosure  not  only  the  stray  animals  but,  on 
training  days  or  days  of  other  public  festivities,  all  such  men 
who  were  too  hilarious  were  put  to  remain  until  sundown  for 
reflection. 

James  Whitney,  who  enjoyed  the  distinction  of  having  it 
said  of  him  that  he  remembered  all  that  he  ever  knew  and  all 
that  his  father  before  him  knew,  told  how,  as  a  boy,  lie  coasted 
from  the  Hartness  farm  down  past  W.  L.  Bryants  house,  go- 
ing on  down  to  the  Brook  road,  gathering  force  enough  on  the 
way  to  send  him  some  distance  on  Main  street,  there  being  no 
trees  or  other  obstructions.  Mr.  Whitney  remembered  all  the 
old  buildings  on  the  Common  and  said  it  would  seem,  because 
the  Common  belonged  to  the  town,  that  anyone,  not  having 
land  of  his  own.  felt  free  to  build  or  take  a  piece  there. 

Thomas  Stoughton,  a  harness  maker,  lived  in  a  log  house 
between  John  I.  Slacks  and  the  Boutelle  house,  and  here,  ac- 
cording to  our  town  history,  were  born  his  two  sons.  Henrv 
and  Kdward.  who  were  destined  to  become  noted  lawyers. 
Kdward  settled  in  Windsor  and  was  at  one  time  associated  with 
Secretary  Kvarts  in  his  law  office  in  New  York  city  and  built 
his  home  adjoining   Kvarts1   in   Windsor.     He  was  at    one  time 

20 


The    Common    and    Incidents    Connected    With    It 

our  minister  to  Russia,  where  he  gathered  many  beautiful  and 
valuable  treasures.  Henry  settled  in  Bellows  Falls.  His 
daughter  accompanied  her  uncle  to  Russia  on  one  of  his  trips. 
In  the  list  of  one  thousand  of  the  most  distinguished  men  of 
Vermont    appears  the  name  of  Edward  Stoughton. 

Here  on  the  Meeting  House  Common,  on  the  level  field 
north  of  the  church,  used  to  occur  the  semi-annual  "trainings," 
when  all  men,  within  certain  ages,  were  warned  out  for  train- 
ing in  June  and  October.  Mr.  Whitney  belonged  to  a  company 
whose  members  considered  themselves  a  little  bigger  than  any 
of  the  others,  because  they  knew  four  evolutions,  while  the 
others  knew  only  three,  and  when  one  of  their  company  went 
to  Chester  and  learned  two  more,  making  six  for  them,  great 
was  their  pride.  The  left-overs  were  gathered  into  a  company 
named  the  "Stub  Toes."  Mounted  cavalry,  uniformed  with  red 
coats  trimmed  with  gold  lace,  and  carrying  swords,  drilled 
there;  also  an  artillery  company.  Surely  on  these  occasions  the 
old  Common  must  have  appeared  in  holiday  attire.  It  was  not 
large  enough  for  a  muster  field,  so  the  musters  were  held  on 
Lockwood's  plain,  between  here  and  North  Springfield. 

When  the  church  was  about  21  years  old  it  was  called 
the  East  Meeting  House  to  distinguished  it  from  others  that 
had  been  built  in  town,  but  it  was  not  until  1832,  forty  years 
after  the  house  was  built,  that  the  site  on  Main  street  was  pur- 
chased by  the  Congregational  society. 

The  road  between  the  Common  and  the  cemetery  is  an  old 
road,  but  formerly  ran  farther  east  through  what  is  now  in- 
cluded in  the  cemetery.  Common  street  was  laid  out  in  October, 
1852,  two  and  one-half  years  before  Pleasant  street  was  opened 
for  travel.    Front  street  and  Orchard  street  were  laid   out  in 

21 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


1870,  and  it  is  probable  that  Circular  street  was  made  at  the 
same  time,  as  it  is  shown  on  the  Fullam  maps,  although  no 
record  of  it  can  be  found. 

The  story  of  the  Common  would  not  be  complete  without 
some  mention  of  A.  J.  Fullam  and  his  connection  with  the  land 
adjoining  it.  The  old  residents  all  know  how,  after  he  had 
started  making  a  fortune  in  the  stencil  business,  he  purchased 
all  the  available  land  on  top  of  the  hill  and  contemplated 
building  a  castle,  taking  Jonah  Bisbee  to  Wilmington,  N.  J., 
to  see  the  castle  he  wished  reproduced;  how  he  blasted  out  a 
ledge,  used  the  stone  in  building  the  stone  barn,  and  brought 
quantities  of  soapstone  for  his  house;  how  he  abandoned  his 
plans,  and  later  how  he  laid  out  the  land  in  house  lots  and 
streets,  and  divided  his  soapstone  for  the  underpinning  of  a 
house  on  each  lot.  Where  he  blasted  out  this  ledge,  he  deter- 
mined to  make  a  fish  pond,  much  to  the  delight  of  the  small 
boys,  who  danced  around  the  edge,  waiting  for  it  to  be  filled 
with  water  and  fish.    But  again  this  project  was  abandoned. 

His  methods  of  advertising  were  far  ahead  of  his  time. 
Maps  and  blueprints  were  prepared,  posters  printed,  curious 
handbills  were  issued  every  day  and,  in  face  of  everyone's 
doleful  predictions,  all  arrangements  were  made  for  a  great 
auction. 

These  handbills  were  surely  a  work  of  art.  The  first  part 
foretold  the  future  of  Springfield,  and  the  older  inhabitants 
say  much  of  it  has  come  true.  In  the  second  part  he  advertised 
his  building  lots.  In  the  last  part  he  told  how  everyone  who  at- 
tended the  auction  would  have  all  the  cider  and  whiskey  they 
wished,  hut  the  townspeople  made  such  a  disturbance  about 
this  that  he  was  obliged  to  cross  it  off.   Those  who  were  present 

22 


The    Common    and    Incidents    Connected    With    It 

say,  however,  that  while  not  served  in  public,  it  was  abundant 
in  private.  When  night  came  all  the  lots  were  sold.  The  towns- 
people rubbed  their  eyes  and  could  hardly  believe  it. 

Agricultural  fairs  were  held  on  the  Common  as  late  as 
1869  or  '70,  using  the  stone  barn  when  it  was  new  for  a  Floral 
hall. 

The  trees  on  the  Common  were  set  out  by  A.  J.  Fullam  on 
the  southwest  end,  and  Dr.  Crain  on  the  other  side,  taking  what 
was  left  from  the  tree-planting  in  the  cemetery. 


23 


CHAPTER     IV 


Old  Bridges 

THE  story  of  the  covered  bridges  of  the  old.  and  then  in  the 
new,  world  is  one  few  persons  have  had  the  time  or  in- 
clination to  pursue,  and  it  might  prove  uninteresting  if 
given  in  detail,  hut  full  of  interest,  however,  when  relating  to 
our  old  home  town. 

For  05  years,  from  the  settlement  of  Charlestown,  the 
Connecticut  river,  except  in  the  winter,  had  to  he  crossed  by 
boats.  Three  ferries  were  established.  The  first  was  called  the 
lower  landing,  the  second  was  known  as  the  second  landing, 
and  the  other  was  Wentworth's,  named  for  Benning  Wentworth. 
The  first  two  were  little  used  as  passwavs  to  the  country  on  the 
other  side  of  the  river.  Wentworth's  ferry  being  the  great  cross- 
ing to  that  region.  This  was  the  terminus  on  the  river  of  the  old 
Indian  trails  from  Crown  Point  and  Canada.  Over  this  ferry 
all  the  forces  of  the  various  military  expeditions  in  the  Indian. 
French  and  Revolutionary  wars  were  transported,  as  well  as  all 
provisions  and  militarv  stores.  It  was  over  this  ferrv  John 
Stark  passed  August  .'>.  1777.  with  1200  men.  one  camp  ket- 
tle and  two  bullet  moulds.  These  were  all  his  supplies  for  the 
Battle  of  Bennington.  In  that  vear  James  Miner  was  paid  20 
pounds.  5  shillings.  2  pence  for  ferriage.  Samuel  Remington 
was  paid  17  pounds.  7  shillings  and  9  pence  in  the  same  vear. 
These  bills  were   for   ferrying  over  the  soldiers   for   Stark   and 

21 


Old    Bridges 


others.  On  the  erection  of  the  bridge  these  ferries  were  dis- 
continued. 

The  first  covered  bridge  of  which  we  have  any  record  was 
built  in  Germany.  It  was  a  rude  structure  of  stone  and  mortar, 
and  it  was  many  years  before  the  wooden  bridge  took  its  place. 

To  read  some  of  the  controversies  in  the  town  meetings 
of  the  early  days,  both  for  and  against  covering  the  bridges, 
is  most  amusing.  It  was  a  long  stride  from  felling  the  tallest 
trees  nearest  the  river  bank  for  stringers  to  covering  the 
bridges,  both  sides  and  top,  and  was  looked  upon  by  many  as  a 
great  piece  of  extravagance.  One  man,  greatly  exasperated, 
said  in  one  of  those  meetings,  "If  they  had  any  sense  they 
would  know  it  could  not  be  done;  for  how  could  you  draw  a 
load  across  the  bare  planks  in  winter,''  never  thinking  snow 
could  be  shoveled  onto  the  bare  planks  to  meet  the  need.  The 
other  side  argued  that  the  planks  would  last  enough  longer 
to  pay.  But  the  covered  bridge  had  come,  and  to  stay;  for  it 
steadily  grew  in  popular  favor  until  it  reached  the  Connecti- 
cut vallev,  where  they  had  long  felt  the  need  of  bridges  at  vari- 
ous points  to  connect  the  two  states,  Vermont  and  New  Hamp- 
shire. But  so  slight  was  the  knowledge  of  bridge  building  at 
the  time  that  the  erection  of  a  structure  across  the  stream 
which  would  remain  permanent  was  looked  upon  as  very 
doubtful  until  Col.  Enoch  Hale,  who  was  a  native  of  Rindge. 
N.  H.,  moved  to  Walpole  in  1784.  In  1786  he  erected  a  bridge 
at  Bellows  Falls  that  was  the  first  ever  to  span  the  Connecti- 
cut river. 

The  spot  to  build  the  bridge  was  granted  by  the  legisla- 
ture of  New  Hampshire,  and  the  toll  was  regulated  by  law. 
The  "'experiment.""  as  many  regarded  it.  attracted  great  atten- 

25 


Folklore    of   Springfield 


tion  at  the  time,  and  its  successful  completion  was  looked  up- 
on as  such  a  triumph  of  mechanical  art  that  Colonel  Hale 
gained  an  extensive  reputation.  This  remained  the  only  bridge 
across  the  river  until  1796.  Its  length  was  365  feet,  and  the 
height  above  the  water  was  50  feet. 


OLD  WOODEN   CHESHIRE  BRIDGE   BUILT  ABOUT   1800 

Between  Charlestown  and  Springfield  for  a  long  time  a 
bridge  was  deemed  a  necessity,  as  the  ferries  were  the  onlv 
means  of  crossing,  and  in  urgent  cases  messages  were  written 
and  fastened  to  a  stone;  then,  after  shouting  and  various  ges- 
tures to  attract  attention  on  the  other  side,  the  stone  was  hurled 
across,  bearing  its  important  message.  It  was  not  until  1804 
that  steps  were  taken  to  secure  a  bridge,  and  in  that  year  the 
Cheshire  Bridge  company  was  incorporated.  The  following 
persons  were  of  the  company: 

Copy  of  the  Original  Document 
Know  all  men  by  these  presents  that  I,  John  Putnam  of 
Springfield,  in  the  County  of  Windsor  and  State  of  Vermont, 
husbandman,  for  and  in  consideration  of  the  sum  of  Thirteen 

26 


Old    Bridges 


Hundred  and  Fifty  Dollars,  to  me  well  and  truly  paid,  to  wit: 
By  Lewis  R.  Morris  of  said  Springfield,  Esquire,  One  Hun- 
dred and  Eight  Dollars;  by  Jon.  Baker,  gentleman,  Isaac  Fish- 
er, millwright,  Horace  Hall,  gentleman,  Roswell  Hunt,  yeoman, 
all  of  Charlestown  in  the  County  of  Cheshire  and  State  of 
New  Hampshire,  the  sum  of  One  Hundred  and  Eight  Dollars 
each;  by  Oliver  Hall  of  said  Charlestown,  Esquire,  the  sum  of 
Two  Hundred  and  Sixteen  Dollars;  by  Aaron  Dean,  trader, 
John  Willard,  gentleman,  Oliver  Hastings,  physician,  Timothy 
Putnam,  true  husbandman,  and  William  Briggs,  gentleman,  all 
of  said  Charlestown,  the  sum  of  Fifty-four  Dollars  each;  bv 
Isaac  Baker  of  Marlow  in  said  County  of  Cheshire,  physician, 
the  sum  of  Fifty-four  Dollars;  by  Simon  Stevens  of  said 
Springfield,  Esquire,  the  sum  of  Fifty-four  Dollars,  and  by 
Benj.  West  of  said  Charlestown,  the  sum  of  Two  Hundred  and 
Sixteen  Dollars. 

Witness  my  hand  and  seal  this  twenty-fourth  day  of  March 
in  the  year  of  our  Lord,  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  six. 

John  Putnam 
Signed,  sealed  and  delivered  in  the  presence  of 

Aaron  Parks 

Julien  Silsby 

They  early  took  measures  to  build  the  bridge,  Isaac  Fisher 
doing  the  carpenter  work,  and  when  completed  it  was  consid- 
ered an  elegant  structure.  This  bridge  was  used  31  years  be- 
fore another  was  needed  to  take  its  place. 

The  first  bridge  over  the  falls  was  built  a  little  later  than 
1774  bv  felling  two  hemlock  trees  from  each  bank  of  the 
river  across  the  chasm  for  stringers  and  it  was  call  pel  "Lock- 
wood's  bridge."    In  1796  the  records  show  that  the  town  voted 

27 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


to  condemn  this  bridge  and  build  a  new  one,  but,  crude  as  it 
may  have  been,  the  old  bridge  served  them  well  for  several 
years. 

It  now  became  necessary  to  go  farther  into  the  forests 
for  the  hemlock  trees  for  stringers,  as  they  had  to  be  not  less 
than  two  feet  through,  and  once  in  four  years  every  other 
stringer  was  put  in  new,  so  that  the  timbers  were  never  all  old 
at  any  time.  This  was  considered  the  safest  and  most  secure 
bridge  to  be  found. 

For  many  years  Charles  Butterfield  had  this  contract  from 
the  town  and  filled  it  well,  but  it  became  more  and  more  diffi- 
cult to  find  straight  trees  of  the  required  height  and  diameter 
to  replace  the  stringers  and  the  wooden  bridge  was  finally  giv- 
en up  for  an  iron  structure,  which  was  thought  a  great  step 
forward  in  keeping  pace  with  the  times.  During  the  years  of 
repairing  the  bridge  every  fourth  year,  many  stories  are  told 
of  stringer-happenings,  a  few  of  which  may  prove  of  interest 
today. 

A  blind  man  coming  from  Seminary  Hill,  not  knowing 
the  bridge  was  up,  had  passed  onto  one  of  the  stringers  some 
distance  before  he  was  observed.  No  one  dared  speak  lest  he 
become  frightened.  Breathlessly  they  watched  him,  as.  all  un- 
aware of  danger,  he  passed  safely  to  the  opposite  side.  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  Herrick  and  a  friend  walked  a  stringer  in  the  even- 
ing, about  65  vears  ago,  choosing  a  new  one  because  it  was 
whiter  and  could  be  more  plainly  seen.  In  relating  this  inci- 
dent, Mrs.  Herrick  did  not  appear  to  think  it  much  of  a  feat 
to  accomplish. 

We  are  told  a  physician,  returning  on  horseback  in  the 
night,  came  to  the  bridge,  when  the  horse  stopped    but,  upon 


21) 


Old    Bridges 


being  urged  by  his  rider,  went  safely  across  on  one  stringer, 
the  physician  discovering,  when  too  late  to  turn  back,  the  dan- 
ger he  was  in. 

At  the  time  of  the  great  freshet  in  the  fall  of  1869,  all  the 
bridges  over  the  Black  river  but  one  were  swept  away  and  the 
iron  bridge  over  the  falls,  of  which  we  have  spoken,  was  in- 
cluded. Many  persons  witnessed  this  great  loss  to  the  town  and 
not  a  few  have  contributed  from  their  experiences  to  complete 
the  description  here  given. 

As  the  rain  continued  several  days  the  river  became  more 
than  full-banks,  and  all  kinds  of  farm  produce,  together  with 
household  goods,  began  to  come  down  to  the  bridge,  among 
them  being  cradles,  chicken  coops,  a  pumpkin  of  more  than 
ordinary  size  and,  perched  on  the  top  of  this,  was  a  rooster 
sailing  along.  At  first  no  serious  alarm  was  felt,  but  when  the 
water  was  within  two  feet  of  the  bridge  and  still  rising,  danger 
signs  were  put  up  on  either  end  and  an  effort  was  made  to 
keep  people  away.  The  excitement,  however,  was  very  great 
and,  when  their  homes  were  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  stream 
from  where  they  stood,  people  persisted  in  crossing,  even  in 
face  of  danger.  In  one  instance  a  chain  was  formed  with  a 
man  in  the  lead  and  several  women  following  him,  each  hang- 
ing to  the  garments  of  the  one  in  front,  and  in  this  way  they 
ran  across.  Iron  and  stone  even  cannot  always  withstand  the 
pressure.  With  a  terrible  grinding  and  crash,  the  bridge  gave 
wav,  taking  ten  feet  of  earth  and  rocks  on  the  west  bank  with 
it,  and  sweeping  one  man,  a  Mr.  Morey,  away  in  the  flood.  He 
had  stepped  onto  the  bridge  and  stopped  to  look  off  at  the 
water,  which  made  him  a  little  too  late  for  safety.  Not  only 
did  the  town  lose  heavily  in  bridges  by  this  freshet,  but  many 
of  the  shops  were  greatly  damaged. 

29 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


The  next  structure  was  of  wood.  Stringers  were  placed, 
but  the  bridge  was  built  in  the  street,  between  Wheeler's  store 
and  the  Woolson  block;  then  it  was  drawn  into  position  by  the 
means  of  a  turn-pin  placed  on  the  opposite  side.  By  some  mis- 
calculation the  bridge  did  not  come  onto  the  stringers  true,  but 
hunjr  so  far  over  them  it  was  feared  for  a  time  it  would  follow7 


Photo   by   Arthur   Field 
ISAAC    FISHER    BRIDGE     BETTER   KNOWN 
AS   WHITE'S    BRIDGE 

the  fate  of  its  predecessor,  and  it  was  with  great  difficulty  that 
it  was  placed  in  position.  In  a  comparatively  few  years  this 
bridge  was  succeeded  by  an  iron  bridge. 

The  oft-repeated  tale  that  there  was  no  bottom  to  the  river 
under  the  bridge,  that  a  plumb  line  had  many  times  been  low- 
ered all  to  no  purpose,  that  there  was  no  bottom  to  be  found. 

30 


Old    Bridges 


has  been  proven  false  and  the  difficulty  overcome.  The  water 
under  the  northeast  corner  of  the  bridge  is  60  feet  deep  and 
at  the  southeast  corner  40  feet  deep;  the  distance  from  the 
bridge  to  the  water  is  38  feet. 

The  river  at  this  point  falls  110  feet  in  one-eighth  of  a 
mile,  50  feet  of  which  are  nearly  perpendicular,  and  it  is  re- 
garded as  one  of  the  greatest  curiosities  in  the  state.  The  river 
for  20  rods  passes  through  a  ravine  lined  by  perpendicular 
walls  of  mica  slate  from  60  to  80  feet  high,  presenting  a  most 
interesting  spectacle. 

The  first  bridge  at  the  point  where  White's  bridge  now 
spans  the  Black  river  was  built  by  Isaac  Fisher  about  1807; 
while  the  bridge  known  as  Button  bridge  was  so  called  from 
the  large  buttonwood  tree  that  stood  at  one  end  for  many  years. 

To  most  of  us  it  is  surprising  to  learn  that  for  many  years 
there  was  a  bridge  over  what  is  now  the  road  between  Mrs. 
Franklin  Barney's  home  and  Mrs.  Lockwood's  on  Summer 
street.  This  was  over  100  years  ago,  and  Mrs.  Barney's  mother 
remembered  well  how  the  horse  of  Rollin  Whitney's  grand- 
father in  crossing  this  bridge  became  unmanageable  and  driver 
and  team  went  over  into  the  ravine  below.  The  water  came 
from  Cherry  Hill,  passing  through  one  corner  of  the  Common 
and  the  cemetery  near  the  old  hearse  house,  went  under  what 
is  known  as  the  Henry  Mason  place,  now  owned  by  John  T. 
Slack,  and  the  property  of  Maitland  C.  Lovell,  down  across 
the  road  into  the  ravine. 

Quaint  as  the  old  wooden  covered  bridge  may  seem  to- 
day, we  miss  it  in  storm  and  in  sunshine.  After  being  in  favor 
in  New  England  about  125  years,  it  will  soon  be  numbered 
among  the  things  of  the  past. 

31 


MAftiS'    IwlCAMP    HI  IX 


CHAPTER     V 


The  Romance  of  the  Trees 


HENRY  D.  THOREAU  tells  us,  "The  trees  speak  only  to 
those  who  listen."  Can  we  not  pause  in  our  busy  lives 
and  listen  for  the  message  from  some  of  the  trees  we 
pass  in  our  daily  routine  of  work,  for  many  of  them  will  tell 
their  story,  if  only  in  a  whisper.  We  may  catch  it  if  our  ears 
arc  attune  to  nature.  The  Colburn  Elm.  near  the  Colburn  house 
on  Main  street,  is  over  120  years  old  and  has  an  interesting 
history.     When    Dr.   Samuel    Cobb   came   to   Springfield    from 

.",2 


The    Romance    of    the    Trees 


Tolland,  Conn.,  in  1781,  wishing  to  bring  something  from  his 
old  home,  he  made  choice  of  a  few  small  elm  trees,  setting 
them  out  on  the  new  home  place,  which  is  known  as  the  Cortez 
Miller,  or,  later,  as  the  Beal  farm.    When  his  son,  Dr.  Samuel 


THE  COLBURN  ELM,  OVER  120  YEARS  OLD 
33 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


PATRIARCH   BUTTONWOOD  OF    140  YEARS 

Cobb,  Jr.,  bought  the  Colburn  place,  he  took  a  small  one  from 
the  old  Tolland  elms  and  set  it  near  his  new  home,  where  it 
has  stood  as  one  of  our  venerable  landmarks,  admired  by  all. 
It  was  written  into  the  deed  that  it  should  never  be  destroyed 
as  lone  it  could  weather  the  frosts  and  snows  of  winter,  and 


31 


The    Romance    of    the    Trees 


hold  up  its  grand  old  head  with  safety  to  mankind.  Jonas 
Glynn  at  16  sat  under  it  (it  being  then  quite  a  large  tree)  and 
ate  his  dinner,  while  at  work  carrying  mortar  to  lay  the  brick 
in  repairing  the  house. 

A  tree  that  is  one  hundred  years  old  we  call  a  patriarch. 
On  the  grounds  of  Walter  W.  Slack  stands  a  sycamore,  or  but- 
tonwood,  tree  that  has  the  right  to  wear  this  title.  It  has  with- 
stood the  elements  of  140  years,  and  its  history  is  of  local  in- 
terest. About  100  years  ago  the  young  men  of  the  town, 
wishing  to  have  a  sham  fight,  obtained  the  consent  of  their 
elders  after  much  persuasion,  and  the  day  was  set.  All  busi- 
ness was  suspended,  and  the  old  Litchfield  hill  was  chosen  as 
the  scene  of  action. 

Capt.  Philip  Cook,  a  half-breed  Indian  shoemaker,  having 
his  house  and  shop  where  the  residence  of  the  late  Amasa 
Woolson  now  stands,  contended  that  he  and  his  braves  would 
build  a  wigwam  of  boughs  on  the  top  of  Litchfield  hill  and 
with  half  the  young  men  of  the  town  would  defend  the  wig- 
wam with  bows  and  arrows,  while  the  other  half  should  have 
guns.  The  young  men  serving  as  Indians  hatcheled  flax  to  wear 
as  hair,  with  feathers  sticking  around  the  crown,  and  painted 
their  faces  to  look  as  much  like  real  warriors  as  possible.  Sev- 
eral old  Revolutionary  cannon  were  drawn  to  the  base  of  the 
hill  and  placed  around  the  road  to  make  it  seem  like  a  real 
battle. 

People  came  from  surrounding  towns  to  witness  the  fight. 
The  Indians  descended  from  the  top  of  the  hill,  Captain  Cook 
standing  under  the  sycamore  tree  to  give  his  orders  as  they  met 
the  foe.  It  was  spoken  of  then  as  the  "old  buttonwood  tree." 
The  Indians  were  taken  captives,  Captain  Cook  alone  escaping. 

35 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


He  ran  down  into  the  woods  back  of  the  old  Jaekman  house, 
being  able  to  retain  his  bow  and  arrows. 

Rollin  Whitney's  mother  remembered  that  the  old  folks 
stayed  at  home,  worrying  all  day  for  fear,  when  the  young 
blood  was  up,  there  would  be  a  real,  rather  than  a  sham,  fight, 
and  the  women  were  not  allowed  to  go  even  as  spectators. 

James  Whitney  ran  away  from  home  and  came  down  to 
where  W.  L.  Bryant  now  lives  and  looked  across  at  the  fight 
with  keen  interest.  Ezekiel  Whitcomb,  who  took  the  part  of 
one  of  the  Indians,  said  he  never  had  so  good  a  time  in  his  life: 
and  B.  F.  Dana's  father  led  him  around  all  day  by  the  hand, 
fearing  he  would  get  hurt. 

The  pine  in  front  of  the  late  H.  F.  Wyman's  house  on  \  al- 
ley street  was  set  out  by  Miss  Sarah  Bingham.  Wishing  to 
celebrate  her  18th  birthday  anniversary,  she  and  her  friend, 
Miss  Mary  Safford,  went  to  the  woods  and  selected  a  small  pine 
which  just  filled  a  peck  basket.  The  young  ladies  set  it  out 
Dec.  17,  1837,  where  for  nearly  85  years 

"Sun,  storm,  rain,  dew,  to  him  their  tribute  bring. 
Which  he  with  such  benignant  royalty- 
Accepts,  as  only  paying  what  is  lent." 

Something  close  akin  to  romance  is  connected  with  the 
elms  below  the  Town  hall.  It  is  nearly  70  years  since  Mr. 
Kimball  built  the  four  houses,  so  nearly  alike,  setting  out  an 
elm  in  front  of  each.  Into  the  four  houses  came  four  brides. 
Mrs.  Joseph  Messenger,  the  first  Mrs.  Adna  Brown.  Mrs.  C.  K. 
Labaree  and  Mrs.  Bice,  wife  of  the  Universalist  minister.  A 
rivalry  sprung  up  as  to  which  tree  could  be  coaxed  and  petted 
to  outshine  its  neighbors.  Three  of  these  are  standing  today, 
and  it  was  never  decided  which  was  the  winning  bride. 

36 


The    Romance    of    the    Trees 


In  the  fork  between  the  North  Springfield  road  and  the 
Gilman  hill  stand  the  elms  set  out  by  Henry  Whitcomb,  broth- 
er of  Jairus  Whitcomb.  The  trees  in  the  square  were  set  out 
by  Gershom  Closson.  The  elm  in  front  of  the  Bank  block,  near 
the  lower  corner,  was  placed  there  by  Henry  Barnard.  Adna 
Brown  set  out  all  the  elms  on  the  north  end  of  Pleasant  street 
in  1862. 

About  1860  Charles  Forbush  made  and  carried  a  vote  in 
town  meeting  to  pay  each  person  25  cents  for  every  tree  set 
out  about  the  village,  or  on  their  grounds,  that  was  living  at 
the  close  of  one  year.  In  this  way  a  large  number  were  added 
to  beautify  the  town.  In  a  few  years  many  of  them  were  con- 
sidered in  the  way  and  were  cut  down,  which  proved  so  dis- 
couraging that  no  further  effort  was  ever  made  to  promote 
interest  in  shade  trees  about  the  village. 

The  first  trees  ever  brought  into  town  that  were  grown 
in  a  nursery,  Daniel  Rice  procured  about  60  years  ago  for 
what  is  now  known  as  the  Summer  Hill  cemetery.  The  ladies 
of  the  town,  considering  the  cemetery  somewhat  neglected, 
and  wishing  to  beautify  it,  held  a  two  days'  fair  in  the  Town 
hall.  From  this,  and  those  interested  out  of  town,  the  goodly 
sum  of  $1000  was  raised  to  carry  on  the  work.  A  committee 
of  four  ladies  was  chosen,  Mrs.  Frederick  Porter,  Mrs.  Henry 
Mason,  Miss  Sarah  Crain  and  Miss  Sarah  Whitcomb,  who  gave 
their  time  for  a  month  to  superintend  the  setting  out  of  these 
trees.  Mrs.  Frederick  Porter  set  out  the  willows  around  the 
tomb  herself,  and  Henry  Mason  set  out  the  pines  by  the  fence 
next  to  his  land.  Dr.  Crain,  becoming  much  interested  in  the 
work,  took  all  the  trees  that  were  left  and  set  them  out  on  the 
Common  at  his  own  expense. 

37 


/%*<*'■ 


y  m   m 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


Udna  Burke  set  out  in  1855  the  two  elms  on  the  Burke 
grounds.  The  large  horse-chestnut  near  the  road  his  wife 
brought  from  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  about  1850.  It  was  so  small  she 
brought  it  home  in  an  old-fashioned  reticule,  and  it  was  one  of 
the  first  in  town. 

On  the  grounds  of  Everett  Eaton  are  two  over-cup,  or  burr, 
oaks,  not  native  here  in  Vermont,  but  sent  Mr.  Eaton's  father 
by  a  cousin  in  Rockford,  111.,  and  planted  to  celebrate  the 
birth  of  his  son  in  1875. 

The  large  elm  opposite  the  Tower  place,  now  owned  by 
A.  Glenn  Woolson,  was  set  out  by  Stoddard  Tower  in  the  early 
part  of  1800.  Mrs.  Daniel  A.  Gill,  better  known  as  Aunt  Theda 
(Tower)  Gill,  remembered  when  they  were  living  in  the  log 
house  about  half  way  between  there  and  the  Derbv  place.  Her 
father  was  ill  in  bed  but,  looking  out  of  the  window,  he  saw  a 
large  bear  under  that  elm  and  asked  for  his  gun.  They  bol- 
stered him  up  and,  resting  the  weapon  on  the  window  sill,  he 
fired,  killing  the  bear.  It  was  a  very  large  one,  the  meat  of 
which  was  salted  and  lasted  all  winter.  About  25  years  ago 
one  limb  of  this  tree  was  severed  by  lightning  and  made  four 
cords  of  wood.  The  old  tree  measures  18  feet  in  circumfer- 
ence  about  five  feet  from  the  ground. 

Hamilton  Gibson  says,  "To  most  of  us  nature  is  not  only 
a  closed  book,  but  with  leaves  uncut."  If  the  leaves  have  been 
cut  and  the  book  opened  wide  enough  to  catch  a  glimpse  of 
these  ancient  landmarks,  an  interest  will  be  kindled  that  is 
sure  to  be  lasting. 


38 


CHAPTER    VI 


Old  Weathervanes  and  Old  Bells 

IN  this  chapter   we   wish  to  bring  to  the  attention   of   its 
readers  a  few  rare  and  curious  antiques  which  have  en- 
riched the  town  and  furnished  many  an  interesting  hour 
to  the  "stranger  within  our  gates." 

When  the  first  Methodist  church  was  made  over  into  the 
Wesleyan  seminary,  it  was  decided  to  place  a  weathervane  on 

the  old  belfry.  The 
drawing  teacher  de- 
signed the  Angel  Ga- 
briel in  flight,  blow- 
ing a  twisted  trump- 
et. This  was  made 
in  sections,  and  it 
was  compulsory  in 
drawing  class  to 
draw  these  various 
parts.  It  was  then 
taken  to  the  tin  shop  of  Whelden  &  Fisher,  which  was  locat- 
ed near  where  the  library  now  stands,  and  Mr.  Whelden  made 
the  weathervane,  which  he  called  the  "copper  angel."  It  was 
put  on  an  iron  shaft  16  feet  long  and  weighing  100  pounds. 
Above  were  the  arms  with  N  E  S  and  W,  surmounted  by  a 
brass  ball.  This  was  placed  on  the  belfry  of  the  seminary, 
where  it  endured  the  winds  and  storms  of  almost  50  years. 


GABRIEL   WEATHERVANE 


39 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


We  are  indebted  to  John  Nourse  for  its  rescue.  At  the 
time  the  building  was  torn  down  in  1896,  Mr.  Nourse,  in  pass- 
ing, discovered  it  in  a  pile  of  rubbish.  Upon  request  he  was 
allowed  to  take  it  home,  where  it  remained  several  years  before 
it  was  again  brought  to  light.  The  illustration  will  bring  it  to 
the  minds  of  many  who  remember  "Old  Gabe"  as  one  of  the 
landmarks. 

A  stranger  who  had  in  some  way  heard  of  this  old  vane 
came  to  ask  the  writer  what  it  could  be  purchased  for.  When 
told  it  was  not  for  sale,  as  we  wished  it  to  remain  in  the  town, 

he  replied,  "I  will  give  you 
a  good  round  sum  for  it,  and 
no  one  will  ever  know.1'  But 
the  Angel  Gabriel  is  still 
with  us. 

The  weathervane  original- 
ly on  the  cab  shop  is  quaint, 
it  being  a  perfect  miniature 
of  the  first  cab  made  by  the 
company.  It  bears  the  in- 
scription : 

"Established,  1859.    E.  B. 
&    E.     Washed   away.    1869. 
Vermont      Novelty      Works 
Company.  Burned.  1878.  Re- 
built, 1879.    Vt.  N.  W.  Co." 
The    vane    went    down    in    the    fire    two    years    ago     but 
was  rescued  in  a  fairly  good  condition    and  will  now  be  pre- 
served with  our  other  treasures. 

In  searching  for  old  bells  and  their  inscriptions,  it  was  a 
great   surprise  to   find   one  of  the  oldest  of  these   in   our   own 

40 


WEATHERVANE   ON   OLD 
CAB   SHOP 


Old    Weathervanes    and    Old    Bells 


town.  The  cotton  factory  was  built  in  1836  by  Stephen 
Blanchard,  brother  of  Mrs.  Cynthia  Farnham.  At  that  time  a 
bell  was  hung  in  the  belfry,  it  being  the  first  one  in  town  used 
to  call  men  to  work.  Little  was  known  of  its  history,  as  the 
inscription  upon  it  was  in  a  foreign  language.   Permission  was 


1  J. 


f-UTF.N  ■■  W 

?'-f.'FABLS-VV.\^B  ^m  llABIUZ. 

AR    ITS*,' 


OLD   BELL,   MOULDED  IN   1758— HUNG  IN 
COTTON  FACTORY  IN  1836 

given  to  copy  the  inscription  and  over  and  over  again  it  was 
sent  away  for  translation.  After  many  months  it  was  returned, 
with  the  following  result: 

"Moulded  in  Stockholm,  Sweden, 

By  Johan  Fahlsten 

In  the  year  1758 

For  the  good  ship  Habile." 

"Habile"  translated  means  "light  and  buoyant  on  the 
water,"  which  shows  it  was  a  ship's  bell  before  it  was  bought 
for  the  cotton  factory.  This  venerable  relic  is  now  in  the 
possession  of  John  T.  Slack. 

41 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


The  first  cab  shop  bell  was  bought  in  about  1863.  It  was 
lost  in  the  first  freshet  of  that  year,  ringing  as  it  went  down, 
and  becoming  covered  with  sand.  In  1864  the  company,  Ellis, 
Britton  &  Eaton,  bought  the  Seminary  bell — a  bell  of  about 
300  pounds  weight  and  of  the  finest  bell  metal.  In  1869  that 
was  washed  away  and  destroyed,  although  pieces  were  pre- 
served for  a  long  time.  The  freshet  of  1869  uncovered  the  old 
bell  of  '63,  which  was  placed  in  position  and  used  through  and 
after  the  fire  of  1878,  and  was  for  a  long  time  in  the  belfry  of 
the  shoddy  mill. 

The  present  Baptist  church  at  North  Springfield  was 
erected  in  1835.  The  first  bell  was  purchased  November  28th 
of  that  year.  It  weighed  1053  pounds,  and  the  price  paid  was 
25  cents  per  pound.  When  hung  and  all  completed  the  expense 
was  about  $275.00. 

We  leave  to  your  tender  care  and  remembrance  these  old 
vanes  and  bells,  hoping  they  will  be  preserved  for  future 
fenerations. 


42 


CHAPTER     VII 


Revolutionary  Heroes 

NOT  in  vastness  of  territory,  or  the  power  that  springs 
from  material  wealth,  do  we  find  our  strongest  fortifi- 
cations, but  in  the  souls  of  the  men  who  made  them. 
From  the  character  and  precepts  of  the  fathers  spring  the  wis- 
dom and  valor  of  the  sons,  and  by  their  example  each  suc- 
ceeding generation  is  uplifted  and  inspired. 

The  beginnings  in  the  settlement  of  this  portion  of  Ver- 
mont cannot  be  studied  too  long  or  too  well,  and  we  shall 
search  in  vain  the  annals  of  other  places  for  higher  examples 
of  patriotism  and  lofty  purpose  or  more  generous  and  heroic 
deeds.  "Forgotten  generations  live  again  within  these  pages." 
For  them  and  all  that  may  come  after  who  care  to  look  within, 
these  records  of  the  Revolutionary  soldiers  are  prepared. 

The  following  pages  contain  the  scattered  fragments  of 
the  life  history  of  the  Revolutionary  soldiers  who  rest  within 
our  borders,  with  the  intent  that  these  true  stories  of  brave  men 
who  struggled  for  home  and  honor  may  be  kept  fresh  and 
green  in  the  memory  of  the  present  generation,  and  that  they 
in  turn  may  transmit  them  to  their  children  for  safe  keeping. 

43 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


In  the  early  days  when  Springfield  was  in  the  making,  it 
was  customary  for  each  little  hamlet  to  have  its  cemetery  with 
an  occasional  family  lot  on  the  old  home  farm.  But  as  the 
town  increased  in  size,  and  Summer  Hill  became  the  general 
cemetery,  many  were  removed  from  the  other  cemeteries  and 
placed  here.  This  removal,  together  with  the  changing  of 
roads  within  the  cemetery  to  make  extensions,  and  the  removing 
of  small  stones  to  make  room  for  monuments,  has  caused  the 
loss  of  several  names.  The  following  list  contains  names  of 
those  whose  available  record  indicates  they  were  buried  in 
town  but  whose  stones  cannot  be  found: — 

William  Cone. 

Thomas  Corlew,  owned  land  and  lived  in  the  town  in  its 
early  years  of  settlement.  At  his  country's  call  he  served  in 
Colonel  Wood's  regiment  in  1780. 

Nathaniel  Dyke. 

William  Dyke. 

John  Nott,  served  in  Samuel  Scott's  company. 

Phineas  Scott  was  in  Capt.  Isaac  Ticknor's  company  and 
was  ordered  to  Saratoga  by  Col.  Ebenezer  Walbridge. 

David  Stimson.  who  died  Sept.  30.  1850,  aged  88. 

Joseph  Stone. 

Frederick  Temple. 

Abner  Whitney,  who  died  Jan.  6,  1826.  aged  81. 

Summer  Hill  Cemetery 

Lieut. -Col.   John   Barrett,    familiarly   known    as  Col.   John 

Barrett,  was  born  in  Boston.  Mass.,  Dec.  7,   1731.    In    1771    or 

72   he   moved    to   Springfield    and    settled    on    the    Block   house 

farm  now    owned  by  the  Butterfield   family.     He  at  once  built 

11 


Revolutionary    Heroes 


the  house  now  standing,  which  was  the  first  frame  house  in 
town,  and  which  he  occupied  until  his  death,  Dec.  3,  1806. 

Colonel  Barrett  was  very  active  and  influential  in  the 
business  affairs  of  the  town  and  colony.  He  took  a  leading  part 
in  the  contest  over  the  New  Hampshire  grants,  was  captain  in 
Col.  Seth  Warner's  regiment,  was  at  Ticonderoga,  and  in  1776 
went  on  the  expedition  to  Quebec.  Later  he  was  chosen  lieu- 
tenant-colonel of  the  Upper  Regiment  of  the  Cumberland. 

He  held  all  the  important  town  offices,  was  master  of  the 
first  Masonic  lodge  in  the  state  of  Vermont,  which  was  located 
in  Springfield  in  1781.  He  was  one  of  the  original  members  of 
the  Congregational  church,  a  worthy  compeer  of  Simon  Stevens 
and,  like  him,  contributed  much  to  the  prosperity  of  the  town. 

Josiah  Bates  was  born  in  1754  and  died  Nov.  22,  1823, 
aged  69,  and  for  some  reason  was  buried  in  the  Spencer  lot. 
The  records  do  not  state  when  he  came  to  Springfield,  but  the 
Revolutionary  war  rolls  list  him  as  a  private  in  Capt.  Charles 
Parker's  company,  Col.  Samuel  Herrick's  regiment  of  volun- 
teers. 

Lieut.  Lewis  Bates  came  to  Springfield  a  little  after  1790 
and  had  his  war  record  in  Massachusetts.  He  was  one  of  the 
earnest  helpers  for  the  good  of  the  town  and  died  in  Spring- 
field in  1832. 

Josiah  Belknap  was  a  private  in  the  Revolutionary  war 
and  died  in  Springfield,  April  27,  1845,  aged  85  years. 

John  C.  Bingham  came  to  Springfield  during  the  Revolu- 
tionary war.  He  was  a  private  in  Capt.  Jotham  White's  com- 
pany, in  Col.  Samuel  Fletcher's  battalion,  from  July,  1781.  to 
December,    1781.     He   enlisted   and   signed   the   papers   in   the 

45 


Folklore    of   Springfield 


hotel  which  stood  on  the  east  side  of  the  river  at  Gould's  Mills, 
and  Ira  Allen  was  recruiting  officer. 

Capt.  Abner  Bisbee  was  born  in  Pembroke,  Mass.,  July 
31,  1734.  He  was  an  officer  in  the  French  and  Indian  war, 
having  received  his  commission  from  George  III.  and  was  ever 
after  known  as  Captain  Bisbee.  He  served  nearly  through  the 
war  as  a  scout.  There  is  a  tradition  that  he  piloted  a  small 
company  of  soldiers  on  snowshoes  through  the  wilderness  from 
Crown  Point  to  Charlestown,  N.  H.,  in  February,  1759,  and 
marked  out  the  Crown  Point  road,  which  was  cut  through  the 
next  summer  by  Colonel  Goffe.  He  then  selected  his  lot  where 
he  afterward  built  his  log  cabin,  in  1763,  near  the  north  line 
of  the  town,  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  Luther  Boynton. 

Captain  Bisbee  had  three  commissions,  one  from  George 
III.,  one  signed  by  Governor  Clinton  of  New  York,  and  one  by 
Governor  Chittenden  of  Vermont.  He  went  out  on  first  scout 
duty  from  Springfield,  and  later  formed  a  company  of  militia 
and  went  out  on  the  alarm  call.  He  served  through  the  Revo- 
lutionary war  and,  like  many  another  war-worn  soldier,  hailed 
with  gladness  the  day  of  peace. 

Captain  Bisbee  became  a  successful  farmer  and  built  and 
owned  the  first  painted  house  in  town.  He  represented  the 
town  in  the  legislature  and  held  many  important  town  offices. 
He  was  a  firm  believer  in  the  Christian  religion  and  considered 
by  Pastor  Smiley  as  one  of  his  firmest  supporters.  He  died  in 
Springfield,  Sept.  25,  1805.  aged  72  years,  and  his  weight  was 
315  pounds. 

First-Lieut.  John  Bisbee  served  in  the  Revolution  with 
Captain  Bisbee.  Just  what  relationship  existed  between  these 
two  men  is  not  known.    Presumably  John  Bisbee  was  nephew 

46 


Revolutionary    Heroes 


to  Captain  Bisbee.  The  war  rolls  of  Vermont  speak  of  his  going 
from  Springfield  in  1777  on  the  alarm  call.  Later  he  served 
as  second  sergeant  in  Captain  Little's  company,  as  lieutenant 
in  1778,  and  in  1779  he  was  promoted  to  first  lieutenant  under 
Captain  Bisbee  in  Colonel  Wood's  regiment.  He  died  in 
Springfield  and  is  buried  in  the  Elisha  Bisbee  lot.  The  dates  of 
his  birth  and  death  are  unknown. 

Adonijah  Bixby  was  born  May  23,  1753,  at  Shrewsbury, 
Mass.,  and  died  in  Springfield,  March  3,  1839.  He  served  in  the 
Revolutionary  war  at  different  times  from  1775  to  1780.  He 
was  a  drummer  in  Capt.  Moses  Hale's  company  and  served 
also  as  corporal  and  sergeant.  He  was  pensioned  in  1819; 
then  it  was  decided  that  he  had  too  much  property  to  have  a 
pension,  and  his  name  was  stricken  from  the  list,  but  a  few 
years  later  it  was  restored,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  he  was 
receiving  a  pension. 

Nicholas  Bragg  came  to  Springfield  in  1774  and  settled 
first  on  the  Holden  place  beyond  the  Bishop  farm.  He  served 
in  Lieut.  Joseph  Little's  company,  Colonel  Marsh's  regiment, 
October,  1778,  and  died  in  Springfield,  Sept.  7,  1804. 

William  Bragg,  brother  of  Nicholas,  was  a  private  in  Capt. 
John  Benjamin's  company,  1781,  and  died  in  Springfield,  Dec. 
8,  1849,  aged  86. 

Elisha  Brown,  one  of  the  noted  men  among  the  early  set- 
tlers, was  born  in  1749  in  Cohasset,  Mass.  He  came  to  Spring- 
field in  1778  on  horseback,  his  wife  riding  behind  on  a  pillion, 
their  household  effects  being  in  a  pillowcase.  He  bought  land 
and  settled  first  on  the  old  Whitmore  farm.  In  1794  he  sold 
this  farm  and  purchased  land  on  Seminary  hill.    At  this  time 

47 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


there  were  no  roads  except  bridle  paths,  marked  by  blazed 
trees,  and  the  site  of  the  village  was  a  dense  forest  frequented 
by  bears  and  wolves. 

He  well  understood  how  to  accumulate  money  and  at  the 
time  of  his  death,  Sept.  10,  1827,  was  able  to  leave  a  farm  to 
each  of  his  sons,  except  to  David,  who  chose  the  tannery. 

He  fought  in  the  Battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  and  in  Vermont 
served  in  1778  as  sergeant  in  Col.  Timothy  Bedell's  regiment. 
In  1780  he  went  on  the  alarm  call  in  Colonel  \\  ood's  regiment. 
He  was  familiarly  known  as  Brigadier  Elisha  Brown. 

Moses  Chase  was  born  in  Hopkinton,  N.  H.,  Oct.  30,  1763. 
He  came  to  Springfield  in  1794  and  settled  on  the  Henry  Arms 
farm.  He  enlisted  in  the  Revolutionary  war  near  its  close  and 
was  never  in  active  service.  He  died  in  Springfield.  Mav  14, 
1835,  aged  72. 

Oliver  Fairbanks  was  born  in  Dedham.  Mass..  in  1752, 
lived  in  Hubbardston,  Mass..  then  settled  in  Stoddard.  N.  H.. 
moved  to  Springfield  in  1793  and  died  here  in  1839.  aged  87 
years. 

He  resided  at  what  was  then  called  Lower  Falls  on  the 
Black  river,  had  charge  of  a  saw  and  grist  mill  and  also  kept 
a  tavern,  at  the  same  time  doing  much  work  in  farming. 

He  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolution,  enlisting  in  1775  at 
Hubbardston.  was  in  the  Battle  of  Harlem  Heights,  at  Trenton. 
Princeton  and  Woodbridge.  His  descendants  mav  take  a  just 
pride  in  the  fact  that  he  was  one  of  the  small  handful  of  men 
who  crossed  the  Delaware  with  Washington  on  that  cold 
Christmas  night,  1776,  and  by  their  courage  won  the  victory  at 
Trenton,  which  brought  hope  to  the  country  when  everything 
seemed  lost,  as  did  also  the  successful  attack  on  Princeton. 

to 


Revolutionary    Heroes 


Isaac  Glynn  was  born  at  Westford,  Mass.,  July  7,  J  761. 
He  enlisted  in  1775,  was  at  the  Battle  of  Bunker  Hill  and 
served  through  the  war.  He  died  here  Dec.  30,  1835,  aged  71 
years. 

Jonathan  Lake  served  as  private  and  died  in  Springfield, 
May  30,  1842.  The  stone  erected  to  his  memory  hears  evidence 
that  he  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier. 

Lieut.  Benjamin  Lynde,  presumably  brother  of  Elisha 
J.ynde,  who  built  the  Boutelle  house,  was  a  Revolutionary- 
soldier  and  died  in  1824,  aged  80  years. 

James  Harrington  Miller  was  born  in  Grafton,  Mass.. 
Oct.  30,  1763,  and  there  his  war  record  is  found.  He  settled  in 
Springfield  in  1806,  on  the  old  Miller  farm  in  Eureka,  where 
he  lived  until  his  death  in  1844. 

Levi  Nichols  was  born  in  Hingham,  Mass.,  Nov.  9.  1739, 
and  died  in  Springfield,  April  2,  1809.  He  came  to  this  town  in 
1790  and  bought  land  of  Joseph  Little,  which  was  a  portion  of 
the  Horace  Hubbard  farm.  He  built  a  saddler's  shop  and 
invented  a  crude  machine  for  making  nails. 

He  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  being  chosen  second  of 
a  committee  of  five  to  relieve  the  distress  and  dangerous  con- 
dition of  our  country,  and  to  draft  measures  for  the  defense 
of  the  same.  He  served  as  private  in  Captain  Price's  regiment 
and  was  discharged  at  West  Point  in  1780. 

David  Oakes  was  born  in  Neponset.  Mass.,  Jan.  15.  1735. 
and  died  in  Springfield,  Oct.  17.  1813.  He  was  a  private  in 
Colonel  Walcott's  regiment  of  Connecticut  troops. 

Joseph  Perhains  record  is  very  brief.  Nothing  is  known 
beyond  the  important  fact  that  he  was  in  the  Revolution.  He 
died  in  Springfield.  Dec.  16,  1838,  aged  75. 

49 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


Asahel  Powers,  born  Sept.  29,  1759,  in  Shirley,  Mass., 
came  to  Springfield  with  his  father  in  1772.  At  the  age  of  15 
he  enlisted  in  the  Revolutionary  army  for  eight  months  and 
was  in  the  Battle  of  Bunker  Hill.  At  the  expiration  of  his 
enlistment,  he  returned  to  Springfield  and  joined  the  expedi- 
tion to  Ticonderoga  and  Quebec.  Being  sick  with  smallpox, 
he  was  left  at  a  place  called  Patrick's  Hole,  where  he  was 
taken  prisoner  and  carried  to  Quebec.  He  was  first  placed  in 
a  jail  and  then  in  a  hospital,  and  through  the  kindness  of  the 
surgeon  in  charge  he  was  allowed  to  stay  in  the  house  of  an 
Irish  gentleman  who  was  friendly  to  the  cause  and  who  helped 
him  to  escape  and  return  to  Springfield.  He  was  among  the 
foremost  in  building  the  Methodist  church  on  Seminary  Hill 
and  was  considered  a  shrewd  lawyer.  He  died  Jan.  14,  1841, 
aged  81  years. 

Jacob  Sartwell  was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers,  as  was 
Oliver,  his  brother.  Both  served  in  Colonel  Wood's  regiment. 
Capt.  Abner  Bisbee's  detachment,  in  1780  and  are  buried  here. 
Jacob  dying  Nov.  30,  1807. 

Nathaniel  Sawyer  was  born  in  Lancaster,  Mass.,  March 
16,  1716,  and  died  in  Springfield  in  1805.  He  was  captain  of  a 
troop  sent  to  the  relief  of  Fort  William  Henry  in  1757.  He 
was  third  lieutenant  in  Col.  John  Wilcomb's  regiment  dur- 
ing the  Revolution.  He  marched  with  his  company  at  the  Lex- 
ington alarm  April  19  and  then  went  into  camp  at  Cambridge. 

His  grave  and  that  of  his  brother  were  among  the  first  in 
Summer  Hill  cemetery.  The  graves  are  now  under  the  drive- 
way that  faces  the  Porter  lot.  In  making  this  road,  the  grave- 
stones were  destroyed. 

50 


Revolutionary    Heroes 


Capt.  Samuel  Scott  was  one  of  the  pioneers  with  Capt. 
Simon  Stevens,  Abner  Bisbee  and  others.  He  came  in  1763 
and  settled  on  the  Crown  Point  road  not  far  from  the  Town 
farm.  He  was  one  of  the  seven  signers  of  the  call  for  the  first 
town  meeting  and  the  second  representative  of  the  town  in 
1778. 

At  the  alarm  call  in  1780  Captain  Scott  went  with  his 
company  in  Colonel  Wood's  regiment,  to  the  aid  of  his  country, 
which  he  served  long  and  well.  He  died  here  Oct.  2,  1814, 
aged  84  years. 

Simeon  Spencer,  Timothy  Spencer  and  Taylor  Spencer 
were  three  brothers  among  the  first  settlers  in  the  town.  They 
located  in  what  is  now  called  Spencer  Hollow.  All  were  pres- 
ent and  took  part  in  the  first  town  meeting  and  in  organizing 
the  town.  When  the  call  came  for  service  in  the  Revolution, 
these  three  brothers  responded.  Taylor  was  an  ensign  and 
died  on  the  field  of  battle.  Timothy  was  an  adjutant,  and 
Simeon  served  as  one  of  the  first  scouts  sent  out  from  Spring- 
field. Timothy  and  Simeon  are  buried  in  Summer  Hill  ceme- 
tery, but  the  stones  were  taken  down  and  broken  to  erect  a 
monument,  and  the  inscriptions  were  not  preserved.  Only  the 
dates  of  Timothy's  birth  in  1740  and  death  in  1808  are  ob- 
tainable. 

Capt.  Simon  Stevens  was  born  in  Canterbury,  Conn.,  Nov. 
26,  1736.  In  August,  1771,  Simon  Stevens'  name  appears  as 
one  of  the  proprietors  of  this  town,  at  a  meeting  held  in  the 
old  Block  house.  He  held  all  the  important  offices  and  was  one 
of  the  men  chosen  to  see  if  the  town  should  accept  the  Crown 
Point   road.     His   name   appears   on   every  committee   for   the 

51 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


good  and  welfare  of  the  town.  As  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution 
he  had  a  record  for  undaunted  courage  and  wisdom.  He  served 
as  ranger,  scout,  captain  and  lieutenant  in  defense  of  the 
frontier  along  the  Connecticut  river   and  in  decisive  battles. 

The  following  obituary  notice  appeared  in  the  Windsor 
Journal  the  week  after  his  death:  "Died  in  Springfield.  Feb. 
18,  1817,  Hon.  Simon  Stevens,  Esq.,  aged  80  years.  He  was 
an  active  and  useful  young  man  in  the  French  and  Indian  war, 
was  taken  prisoner  by  the  Indians  in  1757  and  continued  with 
them  one  year,  when  he  made  his  escape  at  the  risk  of  his  life. 
He  was  the  man  who  marked  the  first  tree  on  the  west  side  of 
the  Connecticut  river  on  the  famous  Crown  Point  road.  He 
settled  in  this  place  in  the  year  of  1762,  and  in  1766  held  the 
commission  of  captain  under  the  authority  of  His  Majesty.  In 
the  American  Revolution  in  1776  he  was  appointed  major  of 
brigades  by  the  government  of  New  York  for  the  counties  of 
Gloucester  and  Cumberland.  In  the  same  year  he  held  the  com- 
mission of  lieutenant-colonel  under  the  government  of  Ver- 
mont. In  1765  he  was  appointed  justice  of  tin"  peace  under 
His  Majesty,  which  office  he  held  until  the  day  of  his  death, 
when  he  was  the  oldest  justice  in  the  state.  He  represented  the 
town  in  the  legislature  and  filled  all  these  offi-es  with  great 
credit  to  himself  and  benefit  to  his  country.  He  was  an  early- 
professor  of  the  religion  of  Christ  and  never  spoke  of  His 
cause  but  with  great  tenderness  and  affection,  and  he  contrib- 
uted liberally  to  the  support  of  the  Gospel.'1  His  tombstone 
bears  the  following  inscription:  "Deus  ipse  jubet  te  m"ininis"e 
mortis." 

Ensign  Nathaniel  Weston  was  one  of  the  early  ones  in 
town    and  built  and  settled  on  the  Asahel   Fairbanks  faun.    He 


52 


Revolutionary    Heroes 


was  commissioner  of  highways  in  1772,  and  from  that  time 
until  1791  he  was  mostly  in  town  offices  and  represented  the 
town  several  times  in  the  legislature.  He  served  in  the  Revo- 
lution, hut  no  record  of  his  service  can  be  found. 

Pine  Grove  Cemetery,  North  Springfield 
Andrew  Bradford  was  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution    and 
was  in  the  War  of  1812.    He  was  at  the  battles  of  Bennington 
and  Saratoga.    He  was  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Lewis  Davis.    He 
died  Jan.  31,  1826,  aged  78  years. 

William  Brown  served  his  country  in  the  Revolution  and 
went  on  an  alarm  call  in  Col.  Seth  Warner's  regiment.  His 
death  took  place  Aug.  3,  1855,  at  the  age  of  90. 

James  Chittenden  came  to  North  Springfield  from  Con- 
necticut, cleared  land  for  Daniel  Griswold  and  built  a  log 
house  in  which  he  lived  until  1790.  He  served  in  the  Revolu- 
tion and  died  April  12,  1839,  aged  80  years. 

Daniel  Griswold  entered  the  army  at  16,  served  nine 
months,  and  received  $10  a  month  in  service.  Most  of  the  time 
he  was  employed  as  teamster,  part  of  the  time  at  the  skirmish 
in  New  Haven,  Conn.,  and  part  of  the  time  at  Peekskill,  N.  Y. 
He  lived  to  be  73  years  of  age,  dying  Aug.  4,  1836.  Fred  G. 
Field  is  a  descendant  of  this  man. 

John  Haywood  served  as  private  in  Col.  Benjamin  Wait's 
battalion.    He  died  April  30,  1825,  aged  65  years. 

Paul  Haywood  was  born  in  Winchenden,  Mass.  Little  is 
known  of  his  life,  except  that  he  served  in  Capt.  John  Burt's 
company  in  1781.   He  died  April  7,  1808.  at  the  age  of  64. 

Simeon  Keith  was  another  Revolutionary  soldier  whose 
war   record   is   not   obtainable.     His   granddaughter,   however, 

53 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


Mrs.  Lyman  Fisher,  recently  deceased,  told  of  going  with  him 
many  times  to  get  his  pension. 

William  Kirk  was  a  private,  whose  record  is  not  known. 
He  died  Oct.  9,  1829,  aged  65  years. 

Richard  Lee  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  whose  war 
record  is  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  where  he  lived  before  coming  to 
Springfield.  He  was  a  Baptist  clergyman  who  preferred  to 
mount  a  stump  and  preach  out-of-doors.  He  wrote  several 
short  stories,  so  that  his  name  appears  also  among  the  writers 
of  Springfield.  He  lived  in  the  house  next  to  Francis  Preston's 
and  was  familiarly  known  as  Grandpa  Lee  until  he  died, 
March  26,  1823,  at  the  age  of  76. 

Thomas  Leland  was  born  in  Grafton,  Mass..  Aug.  16, 
1760;  married  Lydia  Sherman;  died  in  Chester,  Vt.,  May  23, 
1830.  The  following  is  his  army  record:  Thomas  Leland, 
private,  from  Grafton,  Mass.  December  19.  1777,  reported 
from  Capt.  Joseph  Warren's  company,  6th  \^  orcester  regi- 
ment. Joined  Capt.  Abraham  Child's  company.  Col.  J. 
Wesson's  regiment.  Reported  Jan.  25,  1778.  and  April  9, 
1779.  Enlisted  for  three  years.  Twenty-one  months.  13  days' 
service  as  private;  11  months,  9  days'  service  as  corporal. 

In  1795  Thomas  Leland  removed  to  Chester.  Vt.,  and 
settled  in  a  wilderness  part  of  the  town.  The  hardships  and 
privations  of  new  country  life  were  his  lot  for  several  years; 
but  by  great  effort  and  constant  labor,  in  the  course  of  a  few 
years,  he  reclaimed  from  its  native  wilderness  a  well  cultivat- 
ed farm.  This  farm  which  he  cleared  was  on  the  town  line  be- 
tween Springfield  and  Chester  and  came  within  a  mile  of  North 
Springfield,  where  he  and  all  of  his  family  are  buried. 

51 


Revolutionary    Heroes 


Ephraim  Martins  enlistment  was  at  Lunenburg,  Mass., 
and  his  rank  was  that  of  sergeant  in  Capt.  John  Fuller's  com- 
pany in  Col.  William  Shepherd's  regiment.  He  died  Aug.  8, 
1833,  aged  88  years. 

Matthew  Pierces  record  is  in  Massachusetts,  whence  he 
came  to  Springfield  in  1796.  His  death  took  place  June  16, 
1835,  at  the  age  of  79. 

Crown  Point  Cemetery 
Capt.  William  Holden  was  born  in  Groton,  Mass.,  March 
2,  1728,  and  died  Nov.  8,  1807,  in  Springfield.  He  saw  the 
capture  of  Louisburg,  June  16,  1745,  the  surrender  and  massa- 
cre at  Fort  William  Henry,  1757,  and  the  second  capture  of 
Louisburg,  1758,  the  capture  of  Quebec,  Sept.  13,  1759,  the 
taking  of  Montreal,  Sept.  8,  1760,  and  he  figured  in  the  cam- 
paign against  Burgoyne  in  1777. 

Jeremiah  Parker  was  born  in  1741  and  died  Jan.  7,  1823. 
He  served  in  Capt.  Ichabod  Robinson's  company.  He  owned 
and  died  on  what  is  known  as  the  Robert  Colburn  farm.  It  is 
said  that  he  was  the  first  man  to  introduce  grafted  fruit  into 
Vermont. 

Samuel  Steele  was  born  May  6,  1757,  in  Tolland,  Conn., 
and  removed  to  Vermont  in  1777  or  '78.  and  died  in  Spring- 
field, April  9,  1830.  He  served  as  drummer  from  May  to 
December,  1775,  in  the  Fifth  company  under  Capt.  Solomon 
Willis,  Second  Commanding  regiment.  This  regiment  was 
raised  on  the  first  call  for  troops  by  the  legislature  in  1775, 
and  served  during  the  siege  of  Boston  until  the  expiration  of 
service  in  December,  1775. 

55 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


Samuel  Steele  was  in  Captain  Skinner's  company  in 
Major  Sheldon's  regiment  of  lighthorse,  which  accompanied 
Washington  on  his  retreat  through  New  Jersey  in  1776  and 
was  discharged  Dec.  24,  1776. 

He  also  served  in  Colonel  Burrough's  regiment  in  Capt. 
John  Stevens'  company  in  the  Northern  department  under 
General  Schuyler,  from  1776  to  Jan.  19,  1777.  This  company 
reinforced  the  troops  hesieging  Quebec  under  Arnold  and 
Wooster.  After  the  retreat  from  that  position  in  April,  1776, 
it  was  stationed  at  Ticonderoga  and  vicinity,  where  the  men 
suffered  severely  from  smallpox. 

Parker  Hill  Cemetery 
Ichabod  Closson  was  son  of  Timothy  Closson,  who  was  a 
weaver  by  trade  and  early  came  to  Jamestown,  Va.,  then  to 
Rockingham,  Vt.  He  bought  a  farm  on  Parker  Hill.  Ichabod 
Closson,  born  1764,  was  a  member  of  Capt.  William  Simons' 
company,  Rockingham,  during  the  Revolution,  and  was  after- 
ward a  citizen  in  Springfield  until  his  death.  He  died  Aug.  9, 
1807.  a  mau  of  great  usefulness. 

Lieut.  Isaac  Parker  was  born  in  Chelmsford,  Mass.,  May 
8.  1747.  He  was  an  officer  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  holding 
three  commissions,  one  from  the  Congress  of  the  Colony  of 
Massachusetts,  dated  May  19.  1775,  one  from  the  Continental 
Congress,  dated  July  1,  1775,  signed  by  John  Hancock,  presi- 
dent of  the  congress,  and  one  from  the  Council  of  Massachu- 
setts Bay,  dated  Dec.  1,  1776.  He  was  at  the  Battle  of  Bunker 
Hill  and  at  Valley  Forge,  where  he  took  the  oath  of  office 
before  Baron  DeKalb,  May  13.  1778.  As  early  as  1788  he 
came  to  Springfield  and  settled  on  Parker  Hill,  where  he  died 
July  II.   1805.  aged  59. 

56 


Revolutionary    Heroes 


Silas  Parker's  stone  in  the  cemetery  states  the  meagre  fact 
that  he  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier  who  died  Sept.  9,  1742, 
aged  82  years. 

Lieut.  Philip  Safford  came  from  good  old  Puritan  stock 
and  began  his  military  life  at  an  early  age  as  drummer  bov  in 
a  Massachusetts  company,  which  played  an  important  part  in 
the  victory  at  Lake  George.  In  1757  he  was  drum  major  of  his 
company,  and  the  following  seven  years  he  served  as  lieuten- 
ant. He  was  one  of  the  prominent  men  in  the  Westminster 
massacre,  March  13,  1775,  where  the  first  blood  of  the  Revolu- 
tion was  spilled.  Being  in  the  courthouse  at  the  time  of  the 
attack,  he  made  good  his  escape,  though  receiving  several 
wounds  about  the  head.  He  was  also  in  the  battles  of  Ben- 
nington and  Ticonderoga,  serving  the  greater  part  of  the  war. 
He  took  great  interest  in  town  affairs,  always  battling  for  the 
right.    He  died  April  18,  1814,  aged  74  years. 

Sergt.  John  Walker  served  in  the  Revolution  in  Capt. 
Asaph  Cook's  company  in  Col.  Gideon  Warner's  regiment.  He 
died  Feb.  28,  1813,  aged  70  years. 

Field  and  Lockwood  Cemetery 
Daniel  Field  was  born  Nov.  23.  1  752.  He  was  a  soldier 
in  Colonel  Hitchcock's  regiment  of  Rhode  Island  infantry, 
which  served  under  Washington  and  was  in  the  battles  of  White 
Plains,  Trenton  and  Princeton.  When  his  term  of  service  in 
Rhode  Island  was  about  to  expire,  Washington  went  among 
the  men  and  personallv  besought  them  to  re-enlist,  as  it  was 
the  darkest  time  of  the  Revolution.  Mr.  Field  would  not  re- 
enlist  but  told  Washington  he  would  stay  a  month  longer. 
Washington   replied   with   thanks,  "Your   word   is  as  good   as 

57 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


vour  bond."  During  that  month  of  voluntary  service  he  was 
in  the  battles  of  Trenton  and  Princeton. 

Probably  before  1780  Daniel  Field  came  with  his  wife, 
Hannah  (Whitman)  Field,  who  was  of  the  same  family  as  Walt 
Whitman,  the  poet,  200  miles  through  the  forest  from  Rhode 
Island  and  bought  200  acres  of  land  on  Field  brook  in  Spring- 
field, where  he  built  a  log  cabin  to  live  in.  There  he  left  his 
family  several  winters  and  went  back  to  Rhode  Island  to  work 
at  his  trade,  that  of  blacksmith,  to  pay  for  his  land.  It  is  said 
his  great  inducement  to  settle  here  was  that  a  small  piece  of  his 
meadow  land  near  the  mouth  of  the  brook  had  been  entirely 
cleared  of  timber  by  industrious  beavers. 

Our  forbears  endured  hardships  little  known  to  the 
present  generation.  The  Field  family  was  often  troubled  with 
wild  animals.  Mrs.  Field  twice  chased  a  panther  from  her 
door.  At  one  time  wolves  attacked  the  cows  and  oxen  but 
were  driven  back  by  the  oxen. 

Mrs.  Field  used  to  spin  wool  for  some  of  the  wealthy 
families  in  Charlestown,  N.  H.,  going  through  the  woods  to 
deliver  it  and  taking  her  pay  in  articles  most  necessary  for 
her  family.  Mr.  Field,  too,  worked  many  times  for  men  in 
Charlestown.  His  pay  for  a  week's  work  was  one  bushel  of 
shelled  corn,  which  he  brought  home  on  his  back. 

Daniel  Field  was  commonly  called  "Quaker"  Field,  from 
the  fact  that  he  always  wore  the  Quaker  style  of  dress,  though 
not  a  member  of  that  sect.  He  died  July  C,  1824,  in  the  old 
Field  mansion,  now  owned  by  Mrs.  E.  C.  Beers. 

Henry  Lockivood  served  in  Capt.  Samuel  Scott's  company 
in  Colonel  Wood's  regiment.  He  died  January  1,  1839,  at 
the  age  of  76. 

58 


Revolutionary    Heroes 


Buried  Elsewhere 

Two  men  prominent  in  the  early  settlement  of  the  town, 
who  went  from  here  to  serve  in  the  Revolution  but  who  were 
not  buried  in  Springfield  cemeteries,  deserve  honorable  men- 
tion among  her  heroes,  namely:  Lieut.  Roger  Bates  and 
Orsamu.s  Holmes. 

The  first,  of  Scotch  ancestry,  gave  most  of  his  Revolu- 
tionary service  from  Massachusetts,  but  he  also  served  in 
Vermont,  in  Capt.  Abel  Marsh's  regiment,  since  he  came  to 
Springfield  as  early  as  1777.  He  bought  of  Joseph  Little  the 
farm  later  known  as  the  Christopher  Ellis  place,  now  owned 
by  Norman  Grow,  and  he  built  a  tavern  there. 

In  the  days  before  a  church  was  erected,  religious  services 
were  held  at  private  houses,  and  especially  at  Joseph  Little's. 
So  Roger  Bates  was  anxious  to  have  the  first  church  built  on 
his  farm,  and  the  town  voted  in  1781  to  accept  the  site  he 
offered.  The  frame  was  completed,  but  the  work  went  no 
further  for  lack  of  funds,  as  the  early  settlers  had  great  dis- 
sensions about  the  location  of  their  church.  Roger  Bates  was 
much  grieved  in  spirit  and  took  his  departure  to  Canada  in 
1797,  where  he  died  at  the  age  of  80. 

Orsamus  Holmes  enlisted  in  Capt.  Abner  Bisbee's  com- 
pany and  experienced  most  exciting  times.  In  1777,  while  on 
Lake  Champlain  in  Capt.  Ebenezer  Allen's  company  of  Rang- 
ers, he  was  taken  prisoner  and  sent  to  Montreal  and  later  to 
Quebec.  He  was  kept  on  board  a  prison  ship  until  the  sum- 
mer of  1778,  when  he  made  his  escape  with  only  two  days' 
provisions.  After  being  in  the  wilderness  17  days,  Holmes 
and  his  companions  were  again  captured  by  the  savages  and 
taken  back  to  Montreal.    There  in  some  marvelous  manner  he 

59 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


made  a  second  escape  by  jumping  over  the  walls  of  the  citv 
and  after  a  long  and  perilous  journey  reached  his  home  in 
Springfield.  Later  he  petitioned  the  court  at  Windsor  that  he 
might  be  recompensed  for  the  loss  of  his  gun,  valued  at  $15. 
and  his  cartridge  box,  valued  at  $2.50  in  Continental  money, 
or  one-quarter  of  a  dollar  in  silver,  together  with  clothing  to 
a  small  amount.  The  order  for  30  pounds  and  15  shillings, 
signed  by  Governor  Chittenden,  and  Ira  Allen  as  treasurer  of 
Vermont,  was  duly  forwarded  by  the  state.  Later  Holmes 
removed  to  \ew  York,  where  he  spent  the  rest  of  his  davs. 

One  of  Napoleon's  Soldiers 

Joseph  Martin  was  one  of  Napoleons  soldiers  in  his 
disastrous  march  over  the  Alps,  so  had  no  connection  with  our 
little  town  in  his  early  days.  But  the  strange  turn  of  fortune's 
wheel  makes  him  claim  our  interest  along  with  all  heroes. 

Joseph  Martin  was  captured  at  Moscow  by  the  Knglish 
and  brought  to  this  country  to  fight  the  Americans.  At  the  first 
opportunity  he  deserted  the  English  and.  after  repeated  hard- 
ships and  narrow  escapes  from  recapture,  he  at  last  joined  the 
American  army,  with  which  he  fought  the  remainder  of  the 
second  War  of  Independence.  He  came  through  the  wars  un- 
harmed and  lived  in  Springfield  a  number  of  years.  In  1850. 
when  75  years  old,  he  was  killed  in  the  south  part  of  the  town 
by  the  falling  of  a  tree. 

Eureka  Cemetery 

Several  soldiers  ol  the  Revolutionary  armv  lie  in 
Eureka  burying  ground.  From  E.  Wellman  Barnard's  paper 
regarding  the  cemetery  is  quoted:  *"A  vote  of  the  town  on 
report   of  Captain    Bisbce.  Lemuel    Whitnev   and   Roger   Bates. 

00 


Revolutionary    Heroes 


committee,  made  this  the  official  burial  place  in  1784,  hut 
interments  had  been  made  here  before.  We  may  assume  that 
for  a  period  of  25  years  this  ground  was  in  universal  use,  for 
the  Summer  Hill  cemetery  land,  first  owned  by  William  Lock- 
wood,  was  not  deeded  to  the  town  until  1793  and  was  not 
used  very  much  before  1800." 

After  the  land  in  Eureka  had  later  been  deeded  to  the 
town  by  Miss  Mary  Ellis  and  Horace  Boothby,  and  an  enclo- 
sure made  around  most  of  the  graves,  the  General  Lewis  Morris 
chapter,  D.  A.  R.,  through  the  generosity  of  Governor  Hart- 
ness,  erected  here  in  1918  a  marker  of  Barre  granite,  inset 
with  a  bronze  tablet  made  in  Springfield  and  bearing  this 
inscription:  "In  memory  of  the  two-score  pioneer  soldiers  and 
first  inhabitants  of  the  town,  who  are  here  buried,  with  un- 
marked graves." 

The  dedicatory  poem,  written  for  the  unveiling  of  the 
marker  by  Rev.  R.  A.  Beardslee,  serves  as  a  fitting  close  to 
the  chapter: 

The  silent  seed  enfolds  the  stately  tree; 

The  tree,  the  forest.    So  the  teeming  earth 

Defeats  decay  with  immortality, 

And  life  unfolds  with  re-expanding  birth. 

The  years,  processional  in  single  file, 

A  single  plan  expanding  endlessly 

LInfold:  and  dreams,  delayed  by  Time  awhile. 

By  Time  are  nurtured  to  reality. 

The  fathers  forward  to  the  children  crying, 

The  pregnant  Morrow's  prayers  backward  cast. 

Are  pleading  for  Ideals  time-defying, 

Work  unbegun,   unfinished,    unsurpassed. 

Life!   poised,  expectant,  the  eternal  Now, 
To  thee  our  all  we  owe,  our  all  we  vow. 

61 


CHAPTER     VIII 


Early  Days  of  Slavery 


WE  read  in  history  that  Vermont  was  the  first  state  in  the 
Union  to  prohibit  slavery.    It  was  somewhat  of  a  sur- 
prise to  find  that  it  existed  in  many  parts  of  the  state, 
and   Springfield   felt  its  influence,  as  will   be  seen   from  the 
following  document: 

"Know  all  men  by  these  presents,  that  I.  Jotham  White, 
of  Springfield,  County  of  Windsor,  State  of  Vermont,  in  pay- 
ment of  35  pounds  of  silver  money  to  me  in  hand,  paid  by 
Oliver  Hastings  of  Charlestown.  County  of  Cheshire,  State  of 
New  Hampshire,  physician,  do  sell  and  deliver  to  the  said 
Oliver  Hastings    mv  negro  boy,  Anthony,  eight  and  one-half 

62 


Early    Days    of    Slavery 


years  of  age,  until  said  negro  boy  shall  arrive  at  the  age  of  21 
years.    Dated  March  2,  1790. 

Signed:       Jotham  White 

Amanda  Stone  1     wr.  „ 

T    .  „      .  >    Witnesses. 

Jed  Kead  j 

The  history  also  adds  that  this  bill  of  sale  is  now  in  a 
good  state  of  preservation,  and  that  Jotham  White  was  a 
prominent  man  in  the  town  and  held  many  positions  of  trust. 
It  appears  that  said  Jotham  White  resided  in  Charlestown 
before  coming  to  Springfield;  for  July  26,  1783,  Stephen 
Jacobs  of  Windsor  purchased  of  Jotham  White  of  Charlestown 
a  negro  slave,  Dinah,  for  40  pounds.  She  lived  with  him  and 
served  as  a  slave  until  1800.  She  became  infirm,  sick  and 
almost  blind,  a  public  charge.  The  selectmen  sued  Judge 
Jacobs  for  her  support.  The  case  came  up  for  trial,  when  it 
was  proven  that  Judge  Jacobs  brought  her  into  the  state  and 
after  a  few  years  others  enticed  her  to  work  for  them,  her 
master  making  no  effort  to  detain  her,  as  he  could  not  hold  her 
by  law.  Therefore  he  refused  to  support  her,  and  the  case  was 
decided  in  the  judge's  favor.  This  was  a  very  famous  case  at 
that  time    and  attracted  much  attention. 

Col.  John  Barrett  of  Springfield  purchased  July  5,  1770, 
of  Caleb  Bull  of  Wallingford,  Conn.,  one  negro  girl  named 
Rose  and  brought  her  to  town,  where  she  lived  and  served 
him  many  years.  She  was  known  as  "Old  Rose,"  much  re- 
spected throughout  the  town.  The  story  is  told  that  later  she 
lived  in  a  little  log  house,  which  was  all  her  own,  on  what  is 
known  as  the  B.  F.  Dana  place. 

When  Gen.  Lewis  Morris  came  to  town,  about  1785,  he 
brought  many   slaves   with  him   but   did   not  call   them   such 

63 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


after  he  had  been  here  a  short  time,  as  he  would  have  been 
unable  to  hold  them  in  this  state. 

Even  though  these  facts  might  prove  misleading,  most  of 
the  people  were  opposed  to  slavery,  and  there  was  a  very  warm 
place  in  their  hearts  for  the  hunted  fugitives.  Capt.  Ebenezer 
Allen  gave  Dinah  Matthews  and  her  infant,  slaves  captured 
from  the  enemy,  their  deed  of  conscription,  because  he  did  not 
think  it  right  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  to  keep  slaves.  And 
Judge  Harrington  decided  against  the  slave  master,  because 
he  could  not  show  a  deed  from  the  original  proprietor.  God 
Almighty. 

From  the  day  when  the  name  of  the  state  was  first  adopted, 
no  slave  had  been  taken  away  from  Vermont  against  his  will. 
The  fugitive  who  set  foot  upon  her  soil  was  safe,  if  not  free. 

Her  north  roads  and  her  south  roads  were  her  under- 
ground railroads.  There  were  Democrats  who  would  send  their 
teams  to  carry  fugitives  northward;  while  thev  themselves 
walked  to  a  convention  to  shout  for  Douglas  I  the  Democratic 
candidate  for  the  presidency,  in  favor  of  slavery  I  and  resolve 
that  slavery  must  not  be  interfered  with  in  states  where  it 
existed  by  law. 

It  is  interesting  to  trace  the  underground  railway  through 
this  part  of  the  state.  Noah  Safford,  who  lived  near  the  found- 
ry in  a  house  that  has  been  recently  moved  to  Olive  street, 
while  spending  winters  in  the  South  selling  straw-cutters  of 
his  own  manufacture,  saw  enough  of  slavery  to  make  him  vow 
eternal  vengeance  upon  it.  From  that  time  his  home  was  one 
of  the  important  stations  where  the  fugitives  were  always 
safe- -sometimes  it  might  be  weeks  in  the  attic,  again  it  might 
be  only  a  few  days  in  the  barn. 

64 


Early    Days    of    Slavery 


His  daughter,  Mrs.  Rebecca  (Safford )  Holmes,  remem- 
bered when  a  little  girl  hearing  teams  drive  up  in  the  night 
and  saw  food  carried  to  the  barn  in  the  morning;  the  following 
night  she  heard  the  sound  of  wheels  again  as  fugitives  were 
taken  to  the  next  station,  which  was  usually  Judge  Pingree's 
office  in  Perkinsville.  This  office  was  a  station  where  slaves 
were  often  secreted,  fed  and  lodged,  then  sent  to  Col.  Thomas 
Powers  in  Woodstock;  from  there  to  Deacon  and  Mrs.  Morris' 
home  in  Strafford,  which  is  just  over  the  line  in  Orleans  coun- 
ty. Judge  Pingree  had  a  very  ingenious  place  for  secreting 
these  slaves.  A  movable  panel  by  the  fireplace  gave  entrance 
to  a  small  closet,  which  was  so  arranged  that  none  were  ever 
discovered. 

Ephraim  Wright,  a  fugitive,  remained  with  Mr.  Safford 
for  several  years  and  was  much  afraid  of  being  recaptured. 
One  day  he  went  to  the  store  and  came  running  back, 
asking  to  be  hidden;  for  he  saw,  or  thought  he  saw,  what 
looked  like  his  old  master.  It  is  said  of  him  that  he  was  as 
white  as  it  is  possible  for  a  colored  man  to  be. 

This  story  is  also  told  of  him:  From  that  time  on  he 
always  walked  with  his  head  partially  turned  over  his  shoulder, 
that  he  might  see  anyone  approaching  from  behind.  One  of 
the  neighbors,  meeting  him  one  day,  asked  him  what  he  should 
do  if  he  saw  his  master  coming.  Ephraim  replied,  "I  think  I 
should  fight." 

He  was  a  very  large  and  powerful  man,  who  had  little  to 
fear  from  other  men  physically. 

Ephraim  Wright  later  married  a  fugitive  girl  who  came 
here  on  the  underground  railway,  escaping  to  Canada.  The 
house,  owned  at  the  present  time  by  Mrs.  Will  Nourse  on  South 
street,  was  built  for  them.  Ephraim  and  his  wife  became  good 
citizens  and,  with  their  three  children,   united  with  the   Con- 

65 


Folklore    of   Springfield 


gregational  church.    He  was  the  village  barber  for  some  time. 

To  return  to  our  railroad:  As  early  as  1848  the  fugitives 
came  through  the  mountain  from  Manchester,  Vt.,  to  Noah 
Safford's.  From  there  they  were  passed,  at  whatever  time 
seemed  best,  to  the  next  station,  which  was  the  Warren  place, 
later  called  the  Deacon  Boynton  home,  at  North  Springfield. 
From  there  they  were  helped  to  Felchville  to  the  home  of  B. 
D.  Bowen's  grandfather,  and  Mr.  Bowen's  father  as  a  lad  of 
ten  remembered  going  with  his  older  brother  on  a  wagon  or 
sleigh,  as  the  season  might  be,  with  a  layer  of  hay  or  straw, 
then  a  layer  of  fugitives,  and  then  more  hay,  sometimes  bv 
day,  sometimes  by  night,  to  South  Woodstock,  to  the  home  of 
Thomas  Powers.  It  will  be  seen  by  this  they  passed  around 
Windsor,  which  was  done  because  that  town  was  not  very 
strongly  in  favor  of  abolition. 

In  passing  from  one  station  to  another  on  foot,  traveling 
bv  night  and  concealing  themselves  in  the  woods  by  day,  and 
being  unable  to  read  or  write,  they  were  obliged  to  have  some 
kind  of  passport.  The  most  common  of  these  was  a  portion 
of  a  broken  knife  blade,  or  a  piece  of  old  leather  about  two 
by  four  inches.  This  conveyed  the  unwritten  message  to  pass 
them  along. 

It  is  interesting  to  notice  the  progress  of  events.  Stephen 
Powers,  a  prominent  lawyer,  came  to  Woodstock,  bringing 
with  him  his  negro  slave  boy,  Cato  Boston,  aged  13  years.  His 
grandson,  Hiram  Powers,  the  sculptor,  was  able  to  make  mar- 
ble portray  so  vividly  the  sufferings  of  the  Greek  slave  girl, 
set  up  in  the  market-place  to  be  purchased  by  any  chance 
buyer,  that  men  stood  in  awe  and  women  wept;  while  the  home 
of  Stephen  Powers'  great-great-grandson,  Colonel  Thomas 
Powers,  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  underground  railway 
stations  in  this  state. 

66 


v4 

Oi-0  , 


•*«*iiw».»™ 


CHAPTER    IX 


Early  Artists  and  Writers 
of  Springfield 

Springfield  Echoes  Span  the  World 

THE  writer  of  these  pages,  in  questioning  people  and  peer- 
ing into  attics  to  see  just  what  treasures  of  the  past  this 
town  did  possess  to  call  its  own,  often  met  with  the  re- 
buff that  Springfield  had  no  history,   she   had   no   artists   or 
writers  in  those  davs. 

Having  a  few  bits  of  history  to  build  on,  we  persevered, 
with  what  success  the  following  pages  will  reveal. 

Zedekiah,  son  of  Hezekiah  Belknap,  was  born  March  8. 
1781,  just  over  the  line  in  the  town  of  Weathersfield.    Of  his 

67 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


early  days  little  is  known,  except  that  he  lived  on  the  farm  with 
his  parents.  He  was  graduated  from  Dartmouth  college  in 
1807  and  early  showed  both  a  talent  and  desire  to  paint.  In 
the  sketch  of  the  alumni  at  Dartmouth  is  recorded  the  fol- 
lowing:— 

"After  graduation  Zedekiah  Belknap  studied  divinity  and 
preached  a  few  years,  but  was  never  ordained  into  the  ministry. 
We  know  him  only  as  a  portrait  painter,  as  no  account  is  given 
of  where  he  preached."  It  is  possible  he  was  a  circuit  preacher, 
so  common  in  those  days.  We  do  know  he  painted  portraits 
for  some  years  in  New  York  city,  and  finally  came  back  to 
spend  the  remainder  of  his  life  among  the  green  hills  of 
Springfield  and  Weathersfield,  where  he  had  many  relatives 
and  friends.  He  married  Sophia  Sherwin  of  Maine,  and  there 
were  no  children. 

About  1812  he  painted  the  portraits  of  Father  and  Mother 
Smiley,  copies  of  which  can  be  found  in  this  volume.  He  also 
painted  Gen.  Lewis  Morris  and  wife,  Dexter  Allen  and 
wife,  and  many  other  prominent  people  of  that  time  and  their 
children. 

When  the  daguerreotype  began  to  appear,  Mr.  Belknap 
was  quite  worried,  fearing  it  would  become  so  much  in  favor 
it  would  take  the  place  of  the  painted  portrait  and  thus  de- 
prive him  of  work. 

In  the  latter  part  of  his  life  he  bought  the  farm  next  above 
the  Corliss  place.  His  sister  and  husband  lived  with  and  cared 
for  him  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  April,  1858,  at  the 
age  of  77  years.  He  was  buried  in  a  small  cemetery  on  the 
farm  of  Augustus  Aldrich. 

Aaron  Dean  Fletcher  was  born  in  Springfield,  Sept.  15, 
1817,  and  was  the  uncle  of  Henry  and  Charles  Fletcher,  well 

68 


Early    Artists    and    Writers    of    Springfield 

known  to  most  of  us.  When  a  small  boy  he  learned  to  play  the 
violin  and  soon  developed  considerable  talent  for  it.  People 
often  tell  of  the  wonderful  tones  he  could  bring  out  of  this 
instrument.  At  the  age  of  13  he  played  for  dances  both  in  this 
town  and  in  Charlestown,  putting  all  the  money  he  received 
for  it  in  the  savings  bank  at  Charlestown,  where  it  remained 
until  his  death. 

When  a  youth  he  started  out  as  a  portrait  painter,  going 
from  house  to  house  painting  family  portraits.  He  also  painted 
landscapes  or  whatever  came  to  hand.  He  was  self-taught, 
never  having  received  any  instruction.  He  not  only  made  his 
own  canvas,  but  his  own  paints  as  well.  He  made  painting  his 
life  work,  which  he  followed  until  his  very  last  days.  There 
are  in  town  a  dozen  or  more  of  the  portraits  he  painted,  and  a 
landscape  of  the  old  Fletcher  home  attracted  the  attention  of 
many. 

Mr.  Fletcher  never  married  but  died  in  Keeseville,  N.  Y., 
at  the  home  of  relatives  with  whom  he  had  lived  for  several 
years,  and  who  say  of  him  that  he  lived  a  most  exemplary  life. 

In  the  year  of  1857  Rev.  William  L.  Picknell  came  to 
North  Springfield  as  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church,  bringing 
Avith  him  a  wife  and  little  son,  William  Picknell,  Jr.,  then  about 
two  years  of  age.  About  four  years  later  George  Picknell  was 
born.  Mr.  Picknell  remained  pastor  of  the  church  until  his 
•death,  which  occurred  in  1867.  This  sketch  is  of  the  two  sons, 
who  became  by  far  the  most  distinguished  artists  going  into 
the  world  from  Springfield. 

After  the  death  of  the  father,  the  family  moved  to  Boston, 
and  the  sister,  Miss  Ellen  Picknell,  writes  of  her  brother 
William: 

69 


Folklore    of   Springfield 


"At  the  age  of  18  he  went  to  Italy,  where  he  spent  two 
years  studying  with  the  older  George  Imess  in  Rome;  thence 
to  Paris,  where  he  studied  two  or  three  years  more  in  the  Beaux 
Arts.  From  there  he  went  to  Brittany.  When  in  Port  Aven  he 
worked  four  or  five  years,  and  from  here  he  sent  his  first 
paintings  to  the  Paris  Salon,  'The  Route  de  Corcorrean,'  re- 
ceiving honorable  mention  and  establishing  his  reputation  as 
a  strong  man  in  Europe.  This  picture  is  now  owned  and  most 
splendidly  hung  in  the  Corcoran  Gallery  in  Washington,  D.  C., 
and  in  the  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Fine  Arts  in  New  York 
are  to  be  found  'The  River  Samoa,"  and  'Bleak  December.' 
'The  Luxemburg'  was  purchased  one  year  after  his  death,  which 
occurred  at  Marblehead,  Mass.,  in  the  42nd  year  of  his  life, 
from  heart  disease. 

"He  was  an  annual  exhibitor  in  the  Salon  in  the  British 
Gallery,  receiving  many  medals,  including  a  bronze  and  silver 
one  from  the  Salon.  He  was  a  member  of  several  art  societies, 
and  was  always  much  followed  by  younger  men  in  the  field  of 
his  work." 

"George  Picknell,  brother  of  William,"  the  sister  con- 
tinues, "began  as  an  art  student  in  Boston,  later  went  to  Paris 
and  entered  the  studio  of  Julian,  where  he  worked  for  three  or 
four  years.  He  then  returned  to  Boston  and  took  up  illustrat- 
ing there  and  in  New  York,  which  he  followed  for  some  years. 
He  then  returned  to  France,  spent  another  year  in  Paris,  and 
then  went  into  Piccadilly,  where  he  lived  and  painted  several 
years.  In  1918  he  was  a  member  of  an  art  colony  established 
in  Silver  Mine,  Conn.,  where  he  is  still  pursuing  his  work.  He, 
too,  was  an  exhibitor  in  the  Paris  Salon.  He  shows  much  of 
Williams  sense  of  color  and  composition    but   is   less  strong 

70 


Early    Artists    and    Writers    of    Springfield 

and  original  in  his  work.  We  have  a  bronze  medallion  of 
William,  made  by  St.  Gaudens  when  both  were  youths  in 
France." 

Horace  Bundy,  Advent  preacher,  was  born  in  North 
Springfield,  and  the  old  homestead  was  near  the  sawmill  in 
that  place.  He  spent  a  part  of  each  year  here  but  was  often 
away  with  friends  for  a  few  months,  painting  portraits  and 
landscapes.  Several  of  these  can  be  seen  in  the  town  today. 
Among  them  are  C.  A.  Leland  when  about  14  and  Miss  Mary 
Keyes  at  five  years,  which  are  a  credit  to  the  artist.  He  spent 
his  last  years  at  his  old  home  and  died  about  the  year,  1893. 

His  son  and  namesake,  Horace  Bundy,  Jr.,  died  in  1918, 
aged  79  years.  It  is  said  of  him  he  followed  in  his  father's 
footsteps,  only  he  used  the  camera  instead  of  the  brush.  He 
made  a  specialty  of  artistic  portraits  and  his  daughter  said, 
"He  was  the  first  man  to  introduce  certain  coloring  in  photo- 
graphs that  was  very  effective." 

There  are  doubtless  many  more  artists  who  should  be 
mentioned,  but  these  were  the  most  distinguished  we  have 
found.  It  is  of  great  interest  to  go  to  the  homes  where  these 
treasures  are  preserved  and  view  the  work  of  men  who  lived 
in  other  days. 

Before  closing  this  chapter  we  wish  to  speak  of  a  few 
prominent  early  writers.  Mrs.  Ann  (Emerson)  Porter,  wife  of 
Charles  Porter,  was  an  own  cousin  of  Ralph  Waldo  Emerson, 
and  those  who  knew  her  say  the  resemblance  was  most  striking. 
Her  early  life  seems  uneventful,  but  at  the  age  of  18  we  find 
her  at  the  head  of  a  young  ladies'  seminary  in  Zanesville, 
Ohio.  This  seminary  was  poorly  equipped  and  with  but  few 
students.    She  built  it  up  into  a  strong  school,  leaving  it  to 

71 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


marry  Charles  Porter  of  Springfield,  who  was  engaged  with  his 
brother  in  the  manufacture  of  carding  machines. 

At  first  they  resided  on  Main  street,  but  soon  built  the 
house  familiarly  known  as  the  B.  F.  Dana  place,  now  owned 
by  Malcolm  E.  Stearns,  and  here  she  wrote  most  of  her  books 
and  poems.  One  lady  said  the  people  of  the  town  did  not  like 
to  call  too  often  or  become  too  intimately  acquainted  with 
Mrs.  Porter,  fearing  they  would  appear  in  her  next  book. 

After  the  new  house  was  built,  about  1850,  Mr.  Porter 
felt  he  had  taken  about  all  the  money  he  could  spare  from  the 
business,  and  only  a  plank  board  walk  was  laid  from  the  street 
across  the  lawn  to  the  house.  This  troubled  Mrs.  Porter,  for 
she  did  not  think  it  quite  in  keeping  with  the  new  home.  She 
wrote  a  story,  for  which  she  received  $100  (quite  a  large  sum 
for  those  days  I ,  and  with  the  money  she  built  the  walk  which 
has  lasted  until  the  present  day. 

After  the  birth  of  her  son  and  only  child,  Mrs.  Porter 
wrote  what  was  considered  her  best  poem,  entitled  "This  One 
Thing  I  Do."  Among  her  prose  works  were  "Glencoe  Parson- 
age" and  a  humorous  temperance  story,  in  which  she  drew  the 
principal  characters  from  town,  and  this  created  considerable 
feeling. 

After  her  husband's  death,  she  and  her  son  made  their 
home  in  Newbury,  Mass.,  the  remainder  of  their  lives.  Both 
are  now  resting  in  the  family  lot  in  Springfield. 

Daniel  Rice  was  born  in  Dummerston,  \  t..  in  1808.  He 
was  always  a  lover  of  the  beautiful  in  nature,  and  he  loved 
books  also.  He  traveled  extensively  in  the  West  and  South 
with  a  horse  and  buggy,  selling  books.  The  nature  of  these 
works  took  him  among  the  statesmen  of  the  past  generation, 

72 


Early    Artists    and    Writers    of    Springfield 

such  men  as  Andrew  Jackson,  Daniel  Webster,  Henry  Clay, 
John  Audubon  and  others.  From  them  he  received  friendly 
encouragement  and  inspiration  to  take  up  the  work  of  pub- 
lishing books,  mostly  of  national  interest.  Among  the  most 
important  were  "North  American  Sylvia"  and  "History  of  the 
Indian  Tribes,"  all  beautifully  illustrated. 

"North  American  Sylvia"  was  a  work  of  several  volumes 
and  of  great  beauty.  Mr.  Rice  wrote  this  book,  and  it  contained 
hand-painted  steel  engravings  of  all  the  trees  native  to  our 
soil.  His  daughter  said:  "After  his  death  the  only  complete 
set  of  this  work  was  sold  to  Houghton,  Mifflin  Co.  of  Boston, 
and  is  displayed  by  them  on  rare  occasions." 

Many  of  the  trees  along  our  highways,  about  our  school 
grounds,  and  in  the  cemetery  where  he  now  lies,  were  placed 
there  by  Mr.  Rice.   He  died  in  1888. 

Rev.  Richard  Lee  was  a  Baptist  clergyman  and  resided 
in  Providence,  R.  I.,  before  coming  to  Springfield.  He  lived 
in  the  home  next  to  Francis  Preston's  and  was  familiarly 
known  as  "Grandpa  Lee."  He  distilled  all  kinds  of  herbs.  The 
children  gathered  wintergreen  for  him  and  were  paid  with 
picture  books  of  his  own  make. 

He  was  a  worker  in  brass  and  pewter,  making  porringers 
and  skimmers,  always  marked  "R.  Lee."  Several  of  these 
treasures  are  in  the  town  at  the  present  time. 

He  preferred  to  preach  out-of-doors,  and  would  mount  a 
stump  and  hold  forth.  He  wrote  several  short  stories  and 
books,  mostly  on  religious  subjects.    He  died  March  26,  1823. 

Let  us  hold  in  grateful  memory  those  who  have  left  behind 
so  rich  a  legacy  to  the  present  generation. 


CHAPTER    X 


Old  Taverns 

GOOD  authorities  differ  upon  the  definition  of  tavern.  One 
says  that  tavern,  a  place  of  entertainment  for  man  and 
beast,  is  not  a  legal  term.  Taverns  are  chiefly  places  for 
the  sale  of  wines  and  liquors.  A  second  informs  us  thus: — "A 
public  house  where  entertainment  and  accommodation  for 
travelers  and  other  guests  are  provided;  an  inn;  a  hotel  usual- 
ly licensed  to  sell  liquor  in  small  quantities."  Be  these  state- 
ments true  or  untrue,  we  will  attempt  to  locate  some  of  the  old 
houses  used  as  inns  long  ago,  and  certainly  they  partook  of  the 
tavern  nature;  for  liquors  in  abundance  were  very  easily  ob- 
tained in  them  all,  with  one  exception. 

The  taverns  were  located  not  more  than  five  miles  apart, 
as  travelers  did  not  feel  they  could  comfortably  continue  their 
journeys  for  a  greater  distance  without  partaking  of  a  dram. 

Eureka,  originally  and  phonetically  spelled  Urica,  at- 
tracted early  settlers  on  account  of  the  fertility  of  the  soil  and 
accessibility  of  the  Crown  Point  road.  One  of  the  first  pio- 
neers located  here  in  1772.  The  famous  Wells  &  Newell  store, 
on  a  corner  of  the  Hubbard  farm,  was  built  in  1790  or  a  bit 
earlier.  Here  Ashabel  Wells  kept  store  in  the  same  year,  and 
a  little  later  it  was  kept  by  Joseph  Selden.  A  tavern,  a  court- 
room and  a  jail  were  in  the  same  building,  which  was  in  the 
center  of  the  activity  of  the  town.  Here  subscriptions  and 
taxes  for  building  the  new  meeting  house  on  the  Common  were 

71 


Old    Taverns 


payable  in  beef  and  grain.  The  Gaylord  store  and  tavern  at  a 
place  still  called  the  "Peggy  Lot"  were  also  located  upon  the 
old  Hubbard  farm.  This  building  was  40  feet  square  with  a 
basement  and  windows  in  the  gable  roof.  Only  one  room  was 
completely  finished.  The  upper  part  was  used  for  dancing.  In 
many  of  the  old  taverns  the  lower  floor  alone  was  partitioned 
off  into  rooms,  and  the  second  story  was  all  one  room.  Numer- 
ous beds  were  arranged  in  this  apartment  and  the  only  privacy 
granted  travelers  and  guests  was  afforded  by  the  hanging  of 
sheets  and  chintz  or  other  convenient  things  between  the  beds. 
Mr.  Gaylord  was  known  as  the  Captain  Esquire.  He  was  town 
clerk  and  a  Tory  at  heart.  After  his  death  his  wife  married 
James  Martin,  who  kept  the  tavern  in  1790. 

Roger  Bates,  a  Scotchman,  came  to  Springfield  in  1777 
and  bought  of  Joseph  Little,  an  old  pioneer,  the  farm  so  long 
known  as  the  Christopher  Ellis  place,  now  occupied  by  Norman 
Grow.  Here  Mr.  Bates  kept  a  tavern  for  a  goodly  number  of 
years,  selling  it  in  1797  to  Joseph  Ellis.  Mr.  Bates  had  served 
in  the  army  and  was  known  as  Lieut.  Roger  Bates.  The  Bates 
farm  was  highly  honored  in  the  early  days.  Not  only  were  the 
first  religious  and  town  meetings  convened  here,  but  here  was 
built  the  first  frame  for  a  meeting  house  and  here  were  the 
stocks.  Mr.  Bates  kept  a  store  as  well  as  a  tavern,  and  it  is 
thought  probable  that  they  were  also  kept  by  Joseph  Little 
before  him. 

Parker  Hill  was  a  lively  little  settlement  when  hardly 
anything  had  been  done  in  this  village.  It  was  on  the  county 
road,  so  called,  from  Rockingham  through  Springfield  and 
Weathersfield  over  the  hills  to  Windsor,  which  next  to  the 
Crown   Point   road   was   the   most   important  highway   in   this 

75 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


section.  The  place  took  its  name  from  Lieut.  Isaac  Parker,  who 
settled  there  about  1790.  Leonard  Walker,  a  young  pioneer, 
who  came  from  Dracut,  Mass.,  settled  in  early  life  on  Parker 
Hill  and  married  Betsey,  the  second  daughter  of  Isaac  Parker. 
He  kept  a  tavern  for  many  years  and  was  a  notable  and 
influential  citizen.  Being  a  prominent  Mason,  the  lodge  meet- 
ings were  held  in  the  hall  at  his  house,  where  in  fact  the  first 
meeting  was  held  Oct.  21,  1811.  He  also  owned  the  old  Hall 
residence  which  has  been  a  landmark  for  many  years  and  was 
kept  as  a  tavern  for  a  long  time. 

Leonard  Parker  early  settled  on  Parker  Hill,  built  the 
house  where  Leon  Cutler  now  lives,  and  kept  a  tavern  for  a 
long  time.  Luther  Hammond  was  the  last  landlord  at  this 
house.  For  many  years  the  little  old  bar  where  they  dealt  out 
New  England  rum  at  three  cents  per  glass  stood  in  the  south- 
east room  of  the  house.  The  dance  hall  was  not  changed  until 
a  few  years  ago.  A  daughter  of  Leonard  Parker,  named  Betsey, 
married  Charles  Holt  and  they  remained  with  her  parents  at  the 
tavern  for  25  years,  when  Mr.  Holt  bought  a  part  of  the  Enos 
Brown  farm  on  Seminary  Hill  and  moved  thither. 

In  1800  James  Whipple  and  his  wife,  Sarah,  came  to  town 
from  Grafton,  Mass.  They  forded  Black  river  below  the  falls, 
then  called  Lockwood's  falls,  wended  their  way  up  the  hill 
past  the  old  meeting  house  on  the  Common,  past  the  Parson 
Smilev  place  to  their  new  home  in  Eureka.  The  roads  were 
mere  bridle  paths.  Mis.  Whipple,  who  was  noted  as  a  skillful 
equestrienne,  rode  a  very  line  saddle  which  was  a  wedding 
present  from  her  father.  In  1807  Mr.  Whipple  and  Eliot  Lynde 
bought  the  building,  which  is  now  Wheelers  store,  and  traded 
there  three  vears.    A  son,  James.  Jr..  was  five  years  old  when  his 

76 


Old    Taverns 


parents  came  to  Springfield,  and  some  time  between  then  and 
1820  the  father  and  son  hired  of  General  Morris  the  farm  and 
tavern  so  well  known  as  the  Dan  0.  Gill  homestead  on  the  Con- 
necticut river.  This  tavern  was  built  in  1789  by  Whitford  Gill. 
In  1820  James,  Jr.,  while  still  keeping  the  public  house,  mar- 
ried Sabrina  Brush,  a  Bennington  lady,  who  was  a  governess 
in  the  family  of  General  Morris  for  three  vears  before  her 
marriage. 

The  house  now  occupied  by  Arthur  Whitcomb  on  the  Arms 
farm  was  a  tavern  when  the  Crown  Point  road  ran  past  the 
place.  The  main  part  of  the  house  was  of  the  original 
tavern,  the  old  ell  having  been  torn  away  and  rebuilt.  The 
house  was  built  by  John  Walker,  a  grandfather  of  Luthera 
Whitney.  The  dance  hall  was  in  the  second  story  on  the  south- 
west corner  and  was  surrounded  on  two  sides  by  benches. 
There  was  also  a  tavern  in  Spencer  Hollow  on  the  farm  after- 
wards owned  by  John  R.  Gill. 

A  hostelry  of  much  repute  was  kept  at  Morris  Mills, 
afterwards  Gould's  Mills,  at  an  early  date  by  Jotham  White. 
Oliver  Fairbanks  kept  a  tavern  about  1793  at  the  same  settle- 
ment. He  also  had  a  sawmill  and  gristmill.  A  tavern  at  this 
place  was  carried  off  by  high  water,  and  it  is  said  that  a  person 
watching  from  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river  saw  a  well  in  the 
dooryard  inundated  and  disappear. 

For  many  years  the  large  building  on  the  farm  so  recently 
owned  by  Allen  Brown  in  West  Springfield  was  kept  as  a 
tavern  by  Moses  and  Jim  Bates.  The  bar  where  toddy  was 
passed  out  was  kept  intact  until  Finns,  the  present  owners, 
purchased  the  propertv.  The  back  of  the  house  as  it  now  stands 
is  towards  the  highway.   Long  ago  there  was  a  bridle  path  each 

77 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


side  of  the  tavern,    but  the  one  at  the  rear  of  the  house  was 
used  most,  and  so  became  the  established  road. 

Simon  Stevens,  Esq.,  was  born  in  Canterbury,  Conn.,  in 
1736.  He  came  and  settled  in  town  in  1762,  and  located  on 
the  site  of  the  present  Town  farm.  Here  he  built  a  frame  house 
and  kept  a  tavern.  There  were  then  but  three  frame  houses  in 
town  and  27  families,  mostly  on  or  near  the  Crown  Point  road. 
Tradition  says  that  Mr.  Stevens  selected  this  point  for  his  home 
when  cutting  the  road  in  1760.    He  died  in  1817. 


OLD  SPRINGFIELD  HOUSE     TORN   DOWN    1891 

Previous  to  1810,  when  the  first  tavern  on  the  present 
hotel  location  was  erected,  there  was  kept  a  tavern  in  the 
building  just  below  the  library.  Mr.  Sparrow's  block  was  the 
main  building  and  the  tenements  over  the  stores  were  once  a 
very  popular  ballroom  as  well  as  a  meeting  place  of  the 
Masonic  order.  At  the  left  a  gambrel  roofed  ell  extended. 
This  was  sold  separately  from  the  main  building  about  1832, 
when   the    latter   was   purchased    for   a    home   by   Dr.   Eleazer 

78 


Old   Taverns 


Crain.  The  ell  was  divided  into  two  tenements  and  still  later 
was  torn  down,  and  the  now  extinct  Pulsipher  house  and  the 
present  Chynoweth  house  took  its  place.  Indeed,  some  of  the 
timbers  of  this  ell  of  the  old  tavern  are  said  to  be  in  the 
Chynoweth  house.  The  tavern  was  generally  known  as  the 
"Wales  Tavern"  and  was  kept  by  Daniel  Darrah  as  early  as 
1802. 

In  1800  Col.  Jonathan  Williams  built  so  much  of  the 
tavern  house  as  ran  east  and  west  on  Main  street,  so  long 
known  as  Black  River  Hotel  and  Springfield  House.  Later  he 
built  the  house  on  the  corner  of  South  and  Clinton  streets, 
known  as  the  "Williams  Tavern,"  where  he  and  afterwards  his 
son,  Luke,  kept  tavern.  The  Williams  tavern  was  more  sump- 
tuous than  most  at  that  time,  and  evidently  Colonel  Williams 
believed  in  good  sanitation;  for  his  barns  were  on  the  left  of 
Clinton  street  near  the  bridge.  The  building  used  at  one  time 
as  a  co-operative  store  was  the  ell  to  the  tavern.  One  notice- 
able feature  was  a  nice  walk  leading  up  to  the  door  of  the 
house.  Colonel  Williams  also  owned  considerable  land  in  this 
vicinity. 

There  was  always  at  least  one  hotel  in  North  Springfield. 
The  building  known  as  the  D.  J.  Boynton  house  was  the  first 
tavern  in  the  village;  it  formerly  stood  on  the  corner  where 
Will  Fuller  now  lives.  It  was  built  about  1800  and  here  the 
Indians  used  to  stop  and  have  their  dances  before  the  immense 
fireplace  in  the  dining  room. 

In  1821  a  house  was  built  by  Joel  Griswold  on  the  corner 
of  Main  street  and  the  road  to  Kendrick's  Corners  over  the 
plain.  This  was  kept  as  a  tavern,  was  burned  and  rebuilt  by 
Abel  Brown,  and  was  burned  a  second  time  when  occupied  by 

79 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


Isaac  Gregory,  who  also  kept  a  store  there.  The  famous  Joel 
Griswold  tavern,  now  standing,  a  large  brick  house  afterwards 
occupied  by  Wayland  Bryant,  was  built  about  1839.  It  was 
kept  as  a  strictly  temperance  house.  July  4,  1844,  in  which 
year  the  town  voted  not  to  license  any  house  of  public  enter- 
tainment to  sell  intoxicating  liquor,  there  was  held  a  large 
temperance  celebration  at  the  Griswold  tavern.  In  1816  the 
town's  population  was  about  2,700  and  there  were  six  taverns 
in  operation.  A  few  years  later  than  this  it  was  told  as  an 
evidence  of  the  prosperity  of  the  town  that  16  hogsheads  of 
rum  were  sold  in  one  year  from  the  old  Springfield  House, 
besides  brandy  and  other  liquors.  Every  store  at  one  time  sold 
drams  and  the  other  hotels  were  by  no  means  kept  on  temper- 
ance principles. 


80 


CHAPTER    XI 


Old  Schools  of  Springfield 

THE  years  after  the  Revolution,  till  about  1840,  form  the 
most  picturesque  period  in  our  educational  history.  This 
was  pre-eminently  the  period  of  the  district  school.  At 
first  the  prevailing  poverty  and  rusticity  and  loose  govern- 
ment made  it  difficult  to  maintain  any  school  organization 
which  was  at  all  adequate. 

The  New  England  schools  of  the  early  days  had  a  prim- 
itive picturesqueness  that  makes  them  seem  of  a  much  more 
remote  past  than  they  really  are.  The  woodpile  in  the  yard, 
the  open  fireplace,  the  backless  benches,  on  which  the  smaller 
scholars  sat,  and  the  two  terms — one  in  winter  under  a  master 
and  one  in  summer  ruled  by  a  mistress — have  the  flavor  of 
pioneer  days.  In  this  seeming  remoteness,  coupled  with  its 
actual  nearness,  lies  the  chief  reason  for  the  charm  that  this 
period  has  for  us.  The  intervening  years  have  destroyed  every 
vestige  of  the  old  sights  and  customs.  We  have  only  frag- 
mentary reminiscences  left;  but  the  more  the  facts  fade,  the 
more  they  allure  us.  The  same  feeling  which  prompts  the  love 
for  an  ancient  chair  or  "chest  of  drawers"  makes  us  prize  the 
reminiscences  of  bygone  times  as  age  gives  them  an  increasing 
rarity. 

The  original  charter  of  the  town  of  Springfield  was  given 
by  Governor  Wentworth  of  the  province  of  New  Hampshire 
in  the  year  of  1761.    In  this  charter  we  find  provision  made 

81 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


of — "One  share  for  the  benefit  of  a  school  in  said  town"; 
while  in  the  confirmation  charter  from  the  province  of  New 
York,  which  was  granted  June  1,  1772,  all  the  rights  of  the 
former  grantees  were  confirmed,  with  certain  reservations  not 
contained  in  the  New  Hampshire  charter.  The  new  grantees 
were  to  share  equally  with  the  original  ones.  These  reserva- 
tions were  as  follows: — Four  hundred  acres  to  the  Society  for 
the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts;  400  acres 
to  the  minister  of  the  Church  of  England,  called  the  "Glebe 
Rights";  400  acres  to  the  first  settled  minister  of  the  Gospel: 
and  100  acres  thereof  to  the  schoolmaster  residing  on  the  said 
tract.  The  reservations  were  situated  in  the  southwest  part  of 
the  town.  The  legislature  of  Vermont  at  an  early  day  gave 
the  progagation  and  glebe  rights  to  the  several  towns  in 
which  they  were  situated  for  the  support  of  schools.  This  town 
enjoyed  the  propagation  rights  for  several  years,  when  the 
society,  by  its  agents  and  attorneys,  brought  suits  against  the 
tenants  in  some  other  towns. 

The  early  inhabitants  of  Springfield,  in  common  with 
those  of  all  New  England  towns,  were  earnest  supporters  of 
schools  and  churches.  Schools  were  for  a  time  kept  in  private 
houses,  where  one  was  so  fortunate  as  to  have  more  than  one 
room. 

The  first  school  of  which  we  have  any  account  was  opened 
in  the  summer  of  1773  in  Lieut.  Hezekiah  Holmes'  house,  on 
the  Dr.  Hubbard  farm.  This  was  taught  by  Miss  Sarah  Stevens, 
a  sister  of  Hon.  Simon  Stevens. 

The  first  building  used  for  a  schoolhouse  exclusively  was 
near  Roger  Bates'  house  on  the  Christopher  Ellis  place,  where 
Norman  Grow  now  lives.    It  is  said  to  have  been  built  for  bar- 


82 


Old    Schools    of    Springfield 


racks  or  for  storage  of  supplies  during  the  making  of  the 
Crown  Point  road.  It  was  probably  built  of  logs  like  some 
others  of  the  earliest  date.  While  owned  by  Mr.  Arms  some  of 
the  foundation  was  still  there,  but  at  the  present  time  nothing 
remains  to  mark  the  site.  Elisha  Clark,  an  early  master  of  this 
school,  was  long  remembered  for  the  savage  ferocity  of  his 
discipline. 

The  second  was  the  tiny  house  in  Eureka  built  about  the 
year  of  1785,  and,  impossible  as  it  may  seem  to  a  modern 
teacher,  from  80  to  125  scholars  have  been  packed  into  it  when 
Eureka  was  the  center  of  civilization  in  town.  This  house  was 
erected  by  the  owners  of  three  farms,  as  individuals,  Nicholas 
Bragg  being  the  builder.  It  was  a  square  block-roofed  struc- 
ture, its  sides  covered  with  blocked  sheathing  of  wide  pine 
boards  and  painted  yellow.  It  stood  in  a  one-acre  enclosure 
walled  in,  near  the  present  house  owned  by  Arthur  Lockwood. 
About  20  rods  north  stood  the  "Parsonage  House,"  occupied 
by  Rev.  Robinson  Smiley  for  about  five  years.  About  1837, 
George  Woodbury  exchanged  property  with  Dr.  Brown  and 
Abijah  Miller  and  the  schoolhouse  was  moved  to  its  present 
location  on  the  east  side  of  the  Eureka  road,  so  that  Mr.  Wood- 
burv  might  build  where  it  formerly  stood.  This  last  site 
embraced  one  acre  of  land  in  the  terms  of  exchange.  About 
the  same  date  the  present  road  leading  to  Weathersfield  Bow 
was  built  passing  south  of  the  schoolhouse  and  dividing  its  lot. 

A  Mr.  Coffin  came  to  Eureka  about  1795  and  taught  school 
and  preached  as  a  Universalist. 

Dr.  Cobb  states  the  name  then  incorrectly  spelled 
"U-r-e-k-a,"  signifying  "I  have  found  it,"  was  given  to  that 
district    bv    an    old    schoolmaster    named    David    Searle,    who 

83 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


came  there  about  1796  after  a  long  journey  on  which  he  had 
sought  in  vain  for  employment,  and  upon  sight  of  the  new 
yellow  schoolhouse  he  exclaimed,  "Eureka!  Eureka!"  This 
Searle  was  a  classical  scholar  and  teacher  and  took  the  school 
off  the  hands  of  a  Mr.  Deane,  who  subsequently  studied 
languages  with  Searle  and  was  afterwards  a  professor  in  the 
University  of  Vermont  at  Burlington.  Another  anecdote  is  to 
the  effect  that  it  was  so  named  by  an  old  settler  because  of 
its  resemblance  to  a  place  in  England  where  he  had  formerly 
lived.  The  one  hundredth  anniversary  of  the  opening  of  this 
school  was  celebrated  on  the  24th  of  October,  1885,  at  the 
schoolhouse. 

Father  Smiley 's  granddaughter  said,  '"Grandmother 
Smiley,  one  of  the  best  educated  women  of  the  time,  opened  a 
private  school,  which  we  term  a  kindergarten,  in  Eureka  about 
the  year,  1807,  for  the  benefit  of  her  own,  as  well  as  her 
neighbors',  children.'" 

A  private  school  was  at  one  time  kept  in  the  basement  of 
Mr.  Whitney's  house,  on  what  is  now  the  Beal  place.  Miss 
Fannie  Nichols  was  the  teacher. 

The  town  early  took  action  looking  toward  the  support 
of  schools.  In  February.  1782.  Simon  Stevens.  Daniel  Gill, 
Emanuel  Case,  William  Lockwood  and  Taylor  Spencer  were 
appointed  a  committee  to  take  care  of  and  look  up  the  "school 
right"  and  in  1784  a  committee  of  five  men — Capt.  George 
Hubbard,  Capt.  Abner  Bisbee,  Emanuel  Case.  William  Lock- 
wood  and  Oliver  Sartwell — were  chosen  to  divide  the  town 
into  school  districts  and  to  take  measures  to  maintain  a  school. 
In  June.  1788.  Simon  Stevens.  Daniel  Gill  and  Nathaniel 
Weston    were   appointed    a    committee   to   join,    in    conjunction 


Old    Schools    of    Springfield 


with  the  selectmen,  to  take  care  of  the  school's  right  of  land  in 
this  town  and  other  perquisites  belonging  to  the  schools, 
agreeably  to  an  act  of  this  state,  and  it  was  not  until  this  year 
that  the  town  was  laid  out  into  school  districts,  Dr.  Samuel 
Cobb,  Capt.  Nathaniel  Weston  and  William  Lockwood  being 
chosen  a  committee  for  that  purpose. 

In  March,  1789,  it  was  "voted  that  the  report  of  the  com- 
mittee provided  for  dividing  town  into  school  districts  remain 
unaccepted  till  next  town  meeting,  then  said  committee  to 
bring  a  plan  of  the  town  with  the  school  districts  marked  on  it 
for  perusal  of  the  people."  Then  again  at  a  town  meeting  held 
Dec.  30,  1794,  a  committee  was  elected  to  divide  the  town 
into  districts  for  school  purposes,  and  in  March,  1795,  we  find 
the  report  was  accepted  to  actually  have  the  school  districts 
formed. 

It  was  accordingly  divided  into  14  districts  of  nearly 
equal  territory  and  also  of  about  equal  school  population. 
Later  these  were  subdivided  and  this  number  was  increased  to 
19  districts,  each  equipped  with  a  substantial  school  building, 
and  still  later  reduced  to  the  original  number  of  14. 

In  October  of  this  year  it  was  "voted  to  accept  the  public 
lands,  where  laid  out  under  New  York  jurisdiction,  and  the 
selectmen  be  directed  to  look  up  and  ascertain  the  same  and 
divide  the  same  into  three  equal  shares  of  350  acres,  each 
share  beginning  at  Rockingham  line,  and  100  acres  in  a  square 
form  adjoining  the  same  for  the  school,  and  that  the  same  be 
and  hereby  is  accepted  by  the  town  whenever  Lewis  R.  Morris 
and  John  Barrett  shall  give  a  good  deed  to  the  town  of  250 
acres  to  belong  to  the  school  right  and  adjoining  the  same." 

In  1803  an  effort  was  made  to  vote  a  tax  of  three  cents  on 
a  dollar  of  the  grand  list  to  be  applied  to  the  use  of  schools 

85 


Folklore    of   Springfield 


to  be  divided  amongst  the  several  districts  agreeably  to  the 
number  of  scholars  in  each  district  from  four  years  old  to  18, 
but  this  was  negatived. 

In  March,  1816,  it  was  voted  "that  the  selectmen  be 
authorized  to  give  a  durable  loan  or  loans  of  the  school  right 
of  land  in  this  town  to  such  persons  and  for  such  rent  as  they 
may  think  right  and  proper."  In  April,  1823,  it  was  voted  "to 
appropriate  the  rent  arising  from  the  ministerial  land  for  the 
year  ensuing  for  the  use  of  schools";  also  voted  "to  petition 
the  next  legislature  to  pass  an  act  to  authorize  the  town  of 
Springfield  to  appropriate  the  rents  arising  from  a  certain 
tract  of  land,  deeded  by  Rev.  Robinson  Smiley,  to  be  paid  the 
town  for  the  purpose  of  supporting  schools  in  the  several 
school  districts  in  proportion  to  the  number  of  scholars  each." 
Since  this  time  the  income  has  been  devoted  to  that  purpose. 

At  the  annual  meeting  in  1827  it  was  voted  "to  appro- 
priate and  set  apart  the  sum  of  $600  of  the  avails  arising  from 
the  school  lands,  which  have  accrued  and  will  be  due  to  the 
selectmen  on  the  first  day  of  April  next,  and  add  the  same  to 
the  permanent  school  fund  of  the  town  for  the  support  of 
common  schools  therein,  and  that  said  sum  of  $600  be  by  the 
school  trustees  of  the  town  placed  at  interest  on  good  mort- 
gage security  and  the  interest  accruing  therefrom  annually  to 
be  divided  among  the  several  districts  for  the  support  of 
common  schools  therein  in  the  same  manner  and  upon  the 
same  conditions  as  is  now  provided  by  law  for  the  division  of 
the  town  school  tax." 

Again  in  April,  1833,  it  was  voted  "to  appropriate  and  set 
apart  the  further  sum  of  $400  of  the  avails  of  the  rents  arising 
from  the  school  land  and  add  the  same  to  the  $600  voted  the 


86 


Old    Schools    of    Springfield 


28th  day  of  March,  1827."  Also  at  this  same  meeting,  it  was 
voted  "to  loan  this  $1000  to  the  town  for  the  purpose  of  ap- 
plying it  to  the  extinguishment  of  the  debt  created  by  the 
purchase  of  the  Town  farm."  Besides  the  land  already  men- 
tioned, the  rental  of  which  is  applied  for  the  support  of 
schools,  and  the  surplus  revenue  fund,  we  have  a  school  fund 
of  about  $1200,  known  as  the  Gaylord  fund. 

Tradition  tells  us  that  James  Martin,  of  Scotland,  fell  in 
love  with  Margaret  McRoberts,  a  lass  of  greater  wealth  than 
his  own,  and  eloped  with  her.  The  Scottish  law,  it  is  said, 
imposes  severe  penalties  for  abducting  an  heiress,  so  he  rode 
the  pillion  while  she  sat  in  the  saddle  and  held  the  reins.  Thus 
they  reached  the  coast  and  sailed  for  America.  After  some 
years  they  came  to  Springfield,  where  they  had  a  tavern  and 
a  store.  The  Hon.  Capt.  James  Martin,  as  his  headstone  reads, 
was  a  man  of  good  education  and  filled  important  offices  in 
town.  He  was  town  clerk  six  years,  writing  the  books  in  a 
handsome  hand.  His  wife  may  have  inherited  more  wealth 
than  he,  but  the  records  show  that  she  signed  important  papers 
with  her  mark.  Mr.  Martin  died  Oct.  5,  1789,  and  in  1791  Mrs. 
Martin  married  one  Moses  Gaylord,  who  a  few  years  later 
deserted  her,  taking  with  him,  it  is  said,  much  of  her  property. 
Mrs.  Gaylord  died,  leaving  a  will  which  the  court  pronounced 
invalid,  and  the  estate  came  by  escheat  to  the  town,  no  lawful 
heirs  being  found.  Much  discussion  was  excited  at  the  time  as 
to  the  propriety  of  the  town's  taking  the  money  or  the  possibil- 
ity of  refusing  it.  There  had  been  two  Martin  children,  a 
daughter  who  died  in  childhood  and  a  son,  William  Martin, 
who  received  a  liberal  education  and  was  a  teacher  of  some 
note.   Later  he  became  dissipated,  and  action  was  taken  in  town 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


meeting  to  appoint  a  guardian  for  him,  lest  he  become  a  town 
charge,  though  the  sworn  appraisal  of  his  estate  was  $3346.67. 
He  lived  but  a  few  years  after  this. 

In  1838   the  town  "voted  that  the  selectmen  be  authorized 
to  loan  the  proceeds  of  Margaret  Gaylord's  estate  on  mortgage1-, 
security,  and  the  interest  thereof  be  anmlally  appropriated  and 
divided  for  the  support  of  common  schools." 

As  before  stated,  the  township  was  first  divided  into  14 
districts,  the  original  plan  being  to  divide  them  across  the  town 
from  east  to  west,  the  upper  portion  of  the  first  five  bordering 
on  Weathersfield. 

The  district  system  resulted  in  many  a  "teapot  tempest"; 
for  every  person  had  decided  ideas  as  to  how  affairs  in  his  or 
her  own  neighborhood  should  be  managed  and,  whatever 
action  the  committeeman  took,  he  had  to  run  a  gauntlet  of 
criticism  that  was  often  far  from  judicial  or  gentle.  To  settle 
the  question  of  where  one  of  the  little  frame  schoolhouses 
should  stand  has  been  known  to  require  several  district  meet- 
ings scattered  over  a  period  of  time.  The  one  point  where  it 
should  be  built,  on  which  all  agreed,  was  that  it  must  be  as 
near  the  geographical  center  of  the  district  as  possible.  Most 
of  the  buildings  were  erected  close  to  the  highway,  and  often 
they  encroached  on  the  adjoining  field  a  little.  Usually  they 
formed  a  part  of  the  line  fence.  A  favorite  situation  was  at 
the  meeting  of  two  or  more  roads.  The  schoolhouses  seldom 
had  enclosures  or  shade  trees,  and  the  summer  sun  and  winter 
winds  had  free  play. 

The  number  of  pupils  to  be  accommodated  in  a  district 
was  likely  to  be  large,  for  the  children  in  the  old-time  fam- 
ilies  vsere   numerous.     Nevertheless,    no   matter   how    manv   the 


<»o 


Old    Schools    of    Springfield 


scholars,  there  was  never  any  thought  of  providing  more  than 
a  single  teacher.  The  structure  was  usually  small  and  lacking 
paint  both  outside  and  in.  The  schoolroom  walls  were  dis- 
mally vacant  except  for  weather  stains  and  grime  from  the 
smoke  of  the  fireplace.  Seats  and  desks  were  of  pine  or  oak, 
rudely  fashioned  by  some  local  carpenter.  Their  aspect  was 
not  improved  by  the  passing  years,  for  the  unpainted  wood 
became  more  and  more  browned  with  the  umber  of  human 
contact,  and  every  possessor  of  a  jackknife  labored  over  them 
with  much  idle  hacking  and  carving.  Ordinarily  there  was  a 
narrow  entry  where  the  boys  were  supposed  to  hang  their  hats. 
The  fireplace  which  warmed  the  schoolroom  was  large  and 
deep;  afterwards  the  boxstove  came  to  be  used. 

Originally  the  districts  went  by  number,  while  now  we 
are  more  familiar  with  them  by  name.  However,  I  am  told  that 
at  the  present  day  the  listers  always  use  the  district  number  on 
the  tax  list  to  designate  the  section  of  the  town  where  the  per- 
son resides. 

It  certainly  must  have  been  a  problem  in  the  earlier  days 
to  know  just  what  district,  from  time  to  time,  a  man  lived  in; 
for  at  nearly  every  town  meeting  we  find  records  similar  to 
the  following  one  at  the  April  meeting  of  1823: — 

"Voted  to  accept  the  report  of  the  committee  raised  to 
inquire  what  alterations  in  any  of  the  school  districts  ought 
to  be  made,  as  follows: — 'The  committee  report  that  on  request 
they  have  made  inquiry  in  districts,  No.  15,  16  and  17,  but 
that  Josiah  Belknap  ought  to  be  taken  from  district,  No.  16. 
and  annexed  to  district,  No.  7,  the  line  to  be  northerly,  wester- 
ly and  southerlv  lines  of  said  Belknap's  real  estate  where  he 
now  lives'." 


89 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


Some  one  or  more  of  the  people  in  the  different  districts 
were  always  praying  to  be  set  off  from  one  district  to  another, 
either  because  of  taxes  being  less  or  some  neighborhood  feel- 
ing, or  perhaps  the  distance  not  being  so  great.  As  they  are 
given  below  the  districts  are  in  the  order  in  which  they  lie. 
adjoining  each  other,  and  as  they  were  originally  numbered. 
There  are  three  districts  13  for  the  reason  that  they  are  all  in 
the  13th  section  of  the  town. 

District    No.    1  —  Walker    District 

District,  No.  1,  known  as  the  "Walker  district,"  is  situated 
on  the  Connecticut  river,  extending  at  first  from  the  Weathers- 
field  line  down  to  the  Jonas  Butterfield  farm  and  comprising 
districts,  No.  1  and  19. 

These  anecdotes  are  told  as  happening  here  in  the  year 
1820,  when  the  room  was  warmed  by  a  fireplace:  The  teacher, 
who  taught  manners  as  well  as  the  three  "R's,"  made  a  rule 
that  whenever  one  went  before  another,  while  warming  at  the 
fireplace,  they  had  leave  to  push  him  or  her  into  the  fire.  One 
cold  morning  a  few  days  later  the  teacher,  in  replenishing  the 
fire,  stepped  in  front  of  one  of  the  large  girls,  who  immediate- 
ly gave  him  a  push  that  landed  him  on  the  firelog.  Needless 
to  say,  the  rule  was  changed,  not  being  like  the  laws  of  the 
Medes  and  Persians.  The  big  boys  were  the  bane  of  the  mas- 
ter's life.  When  they  could  not  carry  him  out  they  used  all 
manner  of  means  to  drive  him  out.  Many  of  the  boys  were 
over  20  years  of  age  and  were  not  there  to  obtain  an  educa- 
tion, as  is  evidenced  by  one  boy  who,  when  asked  to  spell 
rattlesnake,  began  "re-re- re-e-e-a-a-attle-attle-attle-rattle-sne-e-e- 
a-k-snake-rattlesnake."  (This  was  Daniel  A.  Gill  and  the  story 
was  related  by  the  son  of  a  schoolmate  of  Mr.  Gill.) 

90 


Old    Schools    of    Springfield 


In  1852,  Elizabeth  L.  Tenney  of  New  Hampshire,  an  able 
teacher,  taught  the  summer  school,  a  12  weeks'  term,  with  an 
average  attendance  of  18  scholars;  while  the  winter  term  of 
the  same  length  was  taught  by  J.  Emeline  Whitney.  This  same 
year  there  was  but  a  single  term  taught  in  No.  19,  the  Gill 
district,  and  this  was  in  the  winter  with  Clara  W.  Haskell  of 
Weathersfield  as  the  teacher  of  eight  pupils. 

In  1860  some  were  dissatisfied  with  the  teacher  in  the 
summer  and  turned  her  out.  She  sued  for  her  pay.  The  court 
was  held  in  the  village  when  one  man,  trying  to  help  the 
teacher,  testified,  "She  was  the  best  teacher  we  ever  had.  My 
girls  never  learned  so  much  in  a  whole  year  before.  Why,  I 
thought  I  must  take  my  daughter,  Julia,  out  of  school;  she  was 
studying  so  hard  I  was  afraid  she  would  crack  her  skull." 

In  1861  district,  No.  1,  built  a  neat  and  commodious 
house,  while  in  1867  we  find  No.  19's  house  was  decidedly 
poor.  District  1  was  said  to  be  rich  in  dollars  but  numerical- 
ly poor  in  scholars.  Miss  Mary  Graham  taught  an  eight  weeks' 
summer  school  with  only  three  pupils. 

District    No.    2  —  Eureka 

We  have  already  spoken  of  the  schoolhouse  and  the 
earliest  teachers  in  this  district.  At  times  exhibitions  were  held 
here,  a  platform  being  built  outside  the  building  and  people 
coming  from  miles  away.  Many  of  the  students  have  been 
Dartmouth  graduates.  James  Whipple  attended  a  private 
school  kept  by  Father  Smiley  about  1800. 

William  Wilson  Whitney  enjoyed  such  advantages  as  the 
common    schools    then    afforded.     These    being    meagre,    he 

91 


Folklore    of   Springfield 


studied  algebra,  geometry,  surveying,  navigation  and  the  natur- 
al sciences  either  by  himself  or  with  the  help  of  Samuel  Hem- 
enway,  a  scholarly  old  man  then  living  in  town,  to  whom  many 
of  the  young  men  of  his  day  owed  the  best  of  their  knowledge. 
He  began  teaching  in  his  18th  year  and  continued  teaching  in 
winter,  working  on  the  farm  in  summer,  for  several  years,  the 
same  as  many  of  the  young  men  did  in  the  early  days. 

Henry  Barnard  attended  school  here  and  afterwards  re- 
cited to  Rev.  Robinson  Smiley.  He  also  attended  Chester 
academy.  Calvin  Hubbard  attended  school  in  winter.  He 
studied  Latin  and  walked  to  the  village  to  recite. 

Other  teachers  in  the  early  days  were  Col.  Thomas  Bar- 
rett, Fannie  Stevens,  Jane  Smiley,  John  J.  Barnard,  Eunice 
Nichols  and  Rev.  Dyer  Burgess. 

The  summer  school  in  1852  was  taught  by  Elizabeth  Hub- 
bard, while  in  1862    Hattie  Steel  had  the  winter  term. 

In  1864  we  find  this  article  in  the  town  meeting  warrant: 
"To  take  the  sense  of  the  town  upon  the  expediency  of  abol- 
ishing school  district,  No.  2,  in  said  town  on  account  of 
contention,  strife  and  bitterness  among  the  inhabitants  thereof, 
growing  out  of  the  controversy  among  them  upon  the  question 
whether  the  expense  of  board  and  wood  for  the  schools  therein 
shall  be  put  upon  the  grand  list  or  upon  the  scholar,  for  and 
thereby  as  far  as  practicable  to  remove  the  cause  of  these 
troubles."  Because  of  these,  the  teacher  engaged  for  the  sum- 
mer term,  having  only  one  scholar,  declined  to  go  on  and  no 
other  teacher  was  engaged  during  the  year.  The  following  year. 
the  district  refusing  to  act  in  regard  to  repairing  the  school- 
house,  the  prudential  committee  repaired  it  in  a  thorough 
manner,  painting  it  outside  and  in  at  a  cost  of  $500. 

92 


Old    Schools    of    Springfield 


District    No.    3  —  Cragin    District 

Mrs.  Bourne,  mother  of  Abram  and  William  Bourne  and 
of  Elizabeth  E.,  later  the  wife  of  Dea.  Joel  Woodbury  of  North 
Springfield,  lived  on  the  road  to  the  Town  farm,  where  C.  H. 
Haywood  and  later  L.  M.  Cragin  lived.  She  once  had  a  private 
school  and  took  unruly  children  to  board  and  teach. 

Joseph  Whitcomb  Ellis,  a  brother  of  Isaac  Ellis,  attended 
a  family  boarding  school  taught  by  Mrs.  Joel  Woodbury  (nee 
Elizabeth  E.  Bourne)  at  her  mother's  place.  He  completed  his 
preparation  for  college  at  Springfield  Wesleyan  seminary. 

In  1852,  Gracia  Walker  taught  the  summer  school  and 
Jane  Holden  the  winter  term.  Ten  years  later  Julia  N.  Barnard 
was  the  winter  teacher;  while  in  1865  Hattie  E.  Bates  taught 
her  first  term  of  school  here  in  the  summer.  Six  years  later 
Lizzie  Hawley  was  the  teacher  for  the  winter  term,  and  the 
superintendent  speaks  thus  of  her: — "In  knowledge  of  books 
Miss  Hawley  was  well  qualified  to  teach  but,  having  never  been 
a  rogue  in  school  herself,  she  failed  in  managing  mischief." 
She  undertook  to  keep  her  school  by  law.  Ten  degrees  below 
zero  was  not  cold  enough  to  crack  the  rule  that  "no  pupil  can 
go  to  the  fire  in  school  hours."  This  chilled  the  goodwill  of  the 
parents,  who  ought  to  have  heaped  coals  of  the  fire  of  sympa- 
thy and  firm  support  on  her  head.  Instead  of  this,  all  but  five 
children  left  school  and  about  the  middle  of  the  third  week 
Miss  Hawley  resigned. 

District    No.    4  —  Baker    District 
The  present  schoolhouse  was  erected  here  in  1852.   Martha 
Taylor  taught  the  summer  school,  a  14  weeks'  term,  with  an 
average  of  20  scholars.   The  winter  school  was  commenced  by 

93 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


Sarah  Chandler  of  Pomfret  but,  owing  to  a  misunderstanding 
between  the  prudential  committee  and  herself,  she  was  dis- 
missed after  six  weeks,  and  Amelia  White  finished  the  term. 

At  the  closing  exercises  of  the  school  it  is  related  that  one 
of  the  fathers  of  stalwart  sons  who  were  pupils  attended.  At 
the  "spelling-down"  time  he  was  passed  the  book  to  look  over, 
which  he  took  and  held  wrong-side-up  all  the  time,  much  to 
the  amusement  of  his  children  and  the  rest  of  the  school.  When 
called  upon  to  make  some  "remarks"  he  did  so,  stating  his 
admiration  for  the  teacher  and  her  work,  also  stating  that  he 
"oughter  visited  the  school  before  and  should  ha  done  so,  had 
it  not  been  for  his  lousy  calves  he'd  been  obleeged  to  tend  ter." 

District    No.    5  —  North    Springfield 

This  originally  comprised,  not  only  the  present  district, 
but  so  much  of  district,  No.  13,  Springfield  and  Weathersfield, 
as  was  in  the  town  of  Springfield,  and  a  part  if  not  all  of 
district,  No.  13,  Springfield  and  Chester,  as  was  in  the  town  of 
Springfield.  It  is  not  known  just  when  the  first  school  was 
established.  On  the  road  toward  Baltimore,  near  Leonard 
Redfield's  house,  was  a  blockhouse,  said  to  have  been  built 
by  Timothy  Williams,  whether  for  security  against  the  Indians 
or  for  a  substantial  dwelling  we  cannot  say.  A  school  was 
kept  here  as  early  as  1793,  perhaps  earlier.  Some  of  the  tim- 
bers of  this  building  were  in  the  Redfield  barn. 

A  Mr.  Stoddard  kept  school  in  the  early  days  in  the 
Abraham  Lockwood  place  bought  of  Joseph  Little. 

The  first  schoolhouse  was  built  on  the  site  of  the  present 
Baptist  church,  the*  date  of  building  being  uncertain.  There 
was  a  petition  to  the  selectmen  dated  May  2,  1807,  to  call  a 

94 


Old    Schools    of    Springfield 


school  meeting,  to  meet  at  the  schoolhouse  in  said  district  to 
choose  officers  and  to  see  if  the  district  would  have  a  school 
the  ensuing  year.  This  schoolhouse  was  evidently  burned  in 
1811  or  '12;  for  at  a  school  meeting  held  in  March,  1813,  it 
was  voted  "to  allow  the  committee  42  cents  for  hiring  Daniel 
Griswold,  Jr.,  'for  to  pick  up  the  nails  after  the  schoolhouse 
was  burnt'."  The  nails  were  probably  hand-made  and  could 
be  used  again.  At  the  same  school  meeting  it  was  voted  to 
build  a  brick  schoolhouse  22  feet  square.  This  schoolhouse 
was  afterwards  made  into  a  cabinetmaker's  shop  and  is  now  a 
dwelling  house. 

The  brick  schoolhouse  recently  taken  down  and  replaced 
by  the  present  building  was  built  in  1829.  In  a  few  years  it 
was  found  that  additional  schoolroom  was  needed,  and  in  1838 
a  smaller  wooden  building  was  erected  at  the  northwest  corner 
of  this  schoolhouse.  Some  years  later  an  addition  was  built  on 
the  west  end  of  the  brick  schoolhouse,  the  small  one  sold  and 
moved  down  the  street  opposite  the  manufacturing  shop  of 
Dexter  Martin,  later  owned  by  Frank  D.  Martin;  then  it 
burned.  At  an  early  date  schools  were  said  to  have  been  kept 
in  barns,  and  at  one  time  in  a  barn  opposite  the  old  brick 
church  on  the  hill;  also,  we  find  after  the  schoolhouse  was 
burned,  the  summer  school  was  kept  by  Miss  Belknap  in  the 
barn  on  Captain  Redfield's  place.  Mrs.  Field,  mother  of  F.  G. 
Field,  states  in  the  town  history  that  the  schools  were  main- 
tained by  subscription,  and  the  next  question  which  arose  was, 
shall  the  board  and  wood  be  reckoned  on  the  scholar?  The 
contest  was  so  strong  that  it  resulted  in  two  schools,  each  party 
supporting  its  own  for  two  years  or  more.  This  was  a  great 
drawback  to  education. 


95 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


In  1808  it  was  voted  not  to  raise  money  for  support  of  a 
school.  Voted  the  use  of  the  schoolhouse  for  a  private  school, 
also  for  public  worship  on  Sundays.  For  many  years  the  use 
of  the  house  was  voted  for  singing-schools  and  lyceums. 

The  board  and  wood  were  usually  set  up  at  vendue  in 
olden  days,  and  very  frequently  the  teachers  were  obliged  to 
board  around  a  week  in  a  place.  In  1823  the  teachers  were 
boarded  at  rate  of  40  cents  to  50  cents  a  week,  and  the  wood 
(probably  two-foot  wood)  was  bought  at  30  cents  to  35  cents 
a  cord.  In  1825,  Dr.  Webster  boarded  one  week  for  nothing; 
Darius  Streeter  one  week  for  20  cents.  For  several  years  the 
prices  of  board  and  wood  were  exceedingly  low.  It  was  prob- 
ably considered  desirable  to  have  the  teachers  in  the  family. 
The  wages  paid  teachers  seems  to  us  of  this  later  day  exceed- 
ingly small.  In  1812,  ten  dollars,  with  board,  was  paid  the  mis- 
tress for  teaching  two  months.  In  1814,  they  paid  the  mistress 
$9  for  teaching  three  months.  In  1810,  the  master  was  paid 
842  for  teaching  three  months,  which  may  have  included  board. 
As  late  as  18  13,  Alvin  Roundy  and  wife  were  paid  only  $60  for 
teaching  three  months. 

It  is  impossible  to  give  the  names  of  the  earliest  teachers. 
In  1818,  Lucinda  Griswold  taught,  while  in  1823  Joshua  Le- 
land,  the  father  of  C.  A.  Leland,  and  Betsey  Wilder  taught. 
Among  others  who  may  be  known  or  remembered  were  Drusilla 
Atwood,  the  mother  of  Dea.  Joshua  I  pham;  Judge  William 
Rounds.  Marcella  Leland,  Justus  Dartt,  Flora  Pierce.  Ella  I). 
Rounds.  Belle  Eaton.  In  1812  there  were  72  scholars  in  the 
district:   30  years  later   136,  the  largest  number  ever  reported. 

For  many  years  the  taxes  were  very  light — for  one  or  two 
years    only    one-half    of   one    per   cent    on    the   dollar,    or    five 

96 


Old    Schools    of    Springfield 


cents  on  $1000 — then  three-fourths  per  cent  of  one  per  cent, 
and  one  per  cent.  As  a  rule,  as  the  years  went  on,  the  taxes  in- 
creased. 

In  1871  the  schools  were  graded,  with  Flora  Pierce  in  the 
higher  department,  and  Belle  M.  Eaton  in  the  lower  depart- 
ment. 

School    District    No.    6  — Spencer    Hollow 

This  district  received  its  familiar  name  from  three  broth- 
ers, Timothy,  Taylor  and  Simeon  Spencer,  who  settled  here  at 
a  very  early  date.  Nearly  every  farm  in  this  school  district  has 
been  occupied  by  one  of  the  Spencers  or  some  one  of  their 
descendants. 

The  date  of  building  the  schoolhouse  is  uncertain.  In 
Samuel  Whitcomb's  papers  we  find  this  note: — "The  school- 
house  near  Mr.  Chase's  was  not  built  till  about  1781."  We 
find  by  the  records  that  it  needed  repairing  in  1801,  and  there 
was  still  a  debt  for  money  borrowed  of  Major  John  Gill  to 
build  the  house.  For  some  years  the  school  seems  to  have  been 
supported  in  the  winter  season  only. 

In  1799  the  legal  voters  of  this  district,  the  6th,  voted  to 
have  a  school  for  three  months  the  winter  ensuing. 

"Voted  Asahel  Powers  a  committee  to  git  a  master. 

"Voted  to  pay  half  money  and  half  grain  for  a  school. 

"Voted  to  raise  the  money  upon  the  grand  list. 

"Voted  that  no  man  shall  send  more  than  one  scholar  that 
has  no  children  of  his  own  family,  and  no  man  shall  take  in 
any  scholars  if  he  has  children  of  his  own. 

"Voted  to  have  a  fourth  of  a  cord  of  wood  for  each 
scholar." 

The  wood  was  probably  furnished  on  the  scholar,  but  in 
1807  we  find  Major  Gill  appointed  a  committee  to  supply  wood 
at  $2  per  cord. 

97 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


District    No.    11  —  Merritt    District 

Soon  after  the  Lockwoods  settled  at  the  Falls,  where  the 
village  now  stands,  people  began  to  locate  westward  on  the 
hill,  in  what  was  at  one  time  district,  No.  11. 

Mrs.  Isaac  Ellis  related  that  her  father,  Eli  Howe,  and  his 
brother,  Isaac,  went  to  school  in  an  old  dwelling  house  without 
any  floor  at  the  Fowler  place,  afterwards  owned  by  Horace 
Howe  on  the  west  hill.  Ranie  Finney  was  the  teacher.  Eli  also 
attended  a  log  schoolhouse  which  stood  between  the  Fullam 
place  and  Elmer  Merritt's.  Charles  Holt's  father  lived  on  the 
Lovell  place,  and  William  Lewis'  father  taught  the  school. 
Charles  Holt  was  a  very  poor  mathematician,  and  it  is  said 
that  he  received  unmerciful  ferulings  because  he  could  not  do 
his  problems. 

The  schoolhouse  which  stood  at  the  junction  of  the  roads 
between  the  James  Fullam  farm  and  the  Dea.  Arba  Holman 
farm  on  Hop  hill  (so  called  because  hops  were  early  raised 
there )  was  built  in  1812.  Hon.  Justus  Dartt  taught  his  first 
term  of  school  here  in  1854.  It  was  the  custom  in  those  early 
days  for  the  scholars  to  furnish  their  own  books,  which  made 
such  a  medley  of  kinds  in  the  school  that  Mr.  Dartt  provided 
many  of  the  books  for  them  in  order  to  have  some  degree  of 
uniformity.  He  especially  delighted  in  relating  about  the 
"spelling  matches"  of  those  days,  how  they  used  to  take  turns 
in  spelling  against  the  Slab  City  school.  E.  R.  Fellows  of 
Weathcrsheld  was  such  an  excellent  speller  that  he  even  knew 
the  location  of  the  words  in  the  entire  book  so  well  that  you 
could  not  skip  a  page  without  his  perceiving  it. 

Other  teachers  here  were  Selina  Howe.  Lucia  Prouty, 
Sarah  V.  Howe.  Mvra  Goodnow  and  Sophia  All  bee. 

98 


Old    Schools    of    Springfield 


In  1877  it  was  voted  to  annex  school  district,  No.  11,  to 
No.  9. 

Peres  Whitcomb  bought  the  old  schoolhouse  frame,  tore  it 
down  and  built  the  shed  part  of  his  house  of  it. 

District    No.    9  —  Slab    City 

In  the  early  days  the  schoolhouse  stood  in  the  corner  of 
the  Aaron  Bisbee  farm  on  French  Meadows.  The  house  was 
finally  abandoned  and  the  one  on  the  Chester  road  was  built, 
it  being  more  centrally  located. 

In  1852,  Mary  Spencer  taught  the  summer  school,  while 
the  winter  term  was  kept  by  Charles  B.  Eddy  of  Chester. 

In  1861,  George  Bennett  taught  the  winter  term,  at  this 
time  it  being  one  of  the  largest  schools  in  town. 

In  1883  we  find  this  record,  evidently  for  the  purpose  of 
doing  away  with  the  "twin  relics,"  tardiness  and  absence: — 
"Voted  to  pay  out  of  the  treasury  of  the  district  the  sum  of  25 
cents  to  scholars  under  15  whose  record  shall  be  clear  from 
tardy  or  absent  marks."  This  schoolhouse  was  at  one  time 
called  the  "Rock  schoolhouse,"  taking  the  name  from  the  large 
boulder  so  close  by. 

District    No.    10  —  Scrabble 

The  first  Scrabble  schoolhouse  was  built  of  logs  on  the 
old  road  right  south  and  close  to  the  brook.  It  burned  about 
1848  or  '50.  The  second  was  built  just  around  the  bend  of  the 
road  upon  the  knoll  about  80  years  ago.  These  stories  are  told 
of  some  of  the  actions  of  the  older  boys: — 

The  road  was  just  wide  enough  for  a  team.  At  recess  time 
they  saw  Master  Litchfield  with  a  load  of  wood  drawn  by  steers 

99 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


going  by,  when  Tom  Dana  from  the  top  of  the  hill  shouted  as 
loud  as  he  could,  and  off  went  the  load  down  the  side  of  the 
hill.  Lucius  Harlow,  a  brother  of  Clarissa  Harlow,  also  taught 
school  here.  One  boy  who  went  to  school  was  very  green  and 
the  other  boys  were  apt  to  make  fun  of  him,  especially  Elias 
Damon  and  David  Harlow.  The  teacher  put  out  the  word 
'"drake."  He  spelt  it  "M-N-P-T."  Seeing  he  was  wrong,  he  ex- 
claimed, "Now  laugh,  Elias  and  David." 

In  1852,  Rosella  A.  Frost  taught  the  summer  school  with 
great  success.  In  the  winter  Edgar  Sherman,  later  Judge  Sher- 
man of  Boston,  was  engaged  to  teach.  This  was  his  experience 
as  he  tells  it:  "I  taught  a  12  weeks'  term  in  six  weeks.  A  son 
and  daughter  of  a  wealthy  and  influential  family  in  the  district 
had  attended  school  at  the  seminary  with  me  and,  as  I  learned 
afterwards,  were  opposed  to  my  teaching  their  school.  They 
attended  school,  conducted  themselves  with  propriety  but  kept 
up  a  'lively  talk'  outside.  An  honest  farmer,  who  was,  the 
inefficient  committeeman,  waited  upon  me  and  asked  'How  be 
ve  gittin'  on?'  I  replied  that  I  thought  well.  'You're  not  gittin' 
on  at  all  well,'  said  the  committeeman.  'How  do  you  know,  you 
have  never  honored  us  with  your  company,'  said  I.  'Oh,  I 
have  heard  the  talk,'  said  he.  He  paid  me  what  was  due  and  I 
was  obliged  to  leave.  I  was  terribly  mortified.  I  had  under- 
taken to  teach  school  and  had  failed." 

District    No.    15  —  Parker  Hill 

This  district  was  named  from  Lieut.  Isaac  Parker,  one  of 
the  first  to  settle  here.  The  Springfield  history  states  the  first 
schoolhouse  built  in  the  south  part  of  the  town  was  the  old 
"Society  Home,"  so  called.   This  is  a  mistake.   The  first  school- 

100 


Old    Schools    of    Springfield 


house  was  a  log  house  and  stood  about  40  rods  right  east  of 
Charles  Cutler's  house.  There  the  Fletchers,  the  Harlows,  the 
Damons,  the  Brittons,  sons  of  the  early  settlers,  took  their  first 
schooling. 

In  the  winter  of  1794,  John  Thayer's  grandfather  taught 
and  used  to  take  John's  father,  then  a  boy  four  years  of  age, 
to  school,  drawing  him  on  a  handsled.  The  well-remembered 
old  citizen,  Squire  Elias  Damon,  was  one  of  the  larger  boys; 
also  the  father  of  Henry  Harlow. 

This  served  as  the  Parker  Hill  schoolhouse  until  the  "So- 
ciety House  of  Worship"  was  built  about  1800  or  a  little  later 
perhaps.  It  was  rather  small  for  a  church  but  pretty  large  for 
a  schoolhouse.  It  was  erected  by  the  farmers  living  in  the  south 
part  of  the  township  and  the  north  part  of  Rockingham  town- 
ship, who  were  zealous  Universalists,  and  it  was  their  first  meet- 
ing house.  At  about  this  time,  we  must  remember,  there  was  a 
sizable  village  here  of  about  50  dwellings  and'  a  number  of  in- 
dustries. What  is  now  our  village  was  a  mere  swamp.  The 
land  on  which  the  house  was  built  was  given  by  Lieutenant 
Parker,  as  was  also  the  cemetery.  This  was  a  brick  house  about 
10  rods  north  of  the  town  line,  on  the  west  side  of  the  highway, 
where  now  may  be  seen  an  orchard  of  old  fruit  trees.  It  stood 
facing  the  east  in  front  of  the  cemetery,  on  a  line  north  and 
south  with  Leon  Cutler's  home.  John  Thayer  gave  this  descrip- 
tion of  it  in  1907: — 

"It  was  built  of  brick,  one  story  high,  with  a  sort  of 
steeple.  The  door  was  on  the  southeast  corner.  Leading  into 
the  schoolroom  was  a  hall  that  reached  to  about  the  center  of 
the  house  to  the  door  opening  into  the  large  room,  as  it  seems 
to  me  about  35  feet  square.  At  the  end  of  the  hall  in  the  south- 

101 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


west  corner  of  the  house  was  a  room  as  wide  as  the  hall,  ex- 
tending to  the  west  side,  about  9x14  feet  perhaps.  This  small 
room  at  one  time  had  some  kind  of  doors  which  could  be  used 
when  needed  in  the  home-talent  exhibitions  that  were  always 
enjoyed  and  patronized  by  the  people  for  miles  around.  Some 
of  the  star  actors  were  Richard  Thompson,  Tom  and  Sarah 
Litchfield,  Hiram  and  George  Gould,  Ebenezer  Lovell.  There 
was  a  large  fireplace  on  the  west  side  that  would  take  in  6-foot 
wood.  The  seats  were  old-fashioned  benches  such  as  are  seen 
in  the  most  ancient  schoolhouses.  The  pulpit  was  an  elevated 
one,  something  like  that  in  the  old  Rockingham  church,  but 
smaller,  having  a  flight  of  stairs  leading  to  it  upon  each  side. 
It  stood  until  1853,  when  Charles  Holt  took  it  down  and  moved 
the  brick  to  Springfield  village,  whither  he  had  removed  his 
family,  and  these  bricks  became  parts  of  structures  there.  It 
had  not  been  used  for  a  schoolhouse  since  the  one  at  the  foot 
of  the  hill  was  built.  Rev.  Russell  Streeter  was  minister,  shoe- 
maker and  teacher.  There  being  no  waterpower  near  Parker 
Hill,  one  family  after  another  had  moved  to  the  central  part  of 
the  town,  forming  a  village  there." 

These  little  incidents  have  been  told  in  connection  with 
George  Merritt  as  teacher: — 

Three  unruly  boys,  who  refrained  from  getting  their  les- 
sons in  school,  were  kept  after  closing  time.  When  finally  they 
were  permitted  to  leave,  of  course  they  must  make  their  man- 
ners and,  much  to  the  consternation  of  the  teacher,  they  said, 
"Good-by,  old  Merritt."  They  were  ordered  to  their  seats 
again  and  all  were  severely  feruled. 

Spelling-bees  were  held  between  the  Scrabble  and  Parker 
Hill    schools,   the   people   bringing   candles   for   lights.    When 

102 


Old    Schools    of    Springfield 


Lucius  Harlow  was  teacher,  one  of  the  larger  boys  refused  to 
spell,  saying  "I'd  rather  be  excused."  The  teacher  replied,  "I 
think  you'd  better  spell."  Yet  the  youth  was  obstinate.  Finally 
Mr.  Harlow  seized  a  stick  of  four-foot  wood,  preparatory  to 
wielding  the  same,  whereupon  the  spell  was  broken  and  the 
lad  brought  to  terms. 

District    No.    13  —  Dutton    District 

In  the  early  days  there  was  a  log  schoolhouse  set  on  a 
ridge  as  you  come  east  of  the  old  Nehemiah  Woodward  place. 
R.  S.  Herrick's  father  went  to  school  there  as  a  boy.  At  times 
there  were  105  ratable  scholars  here. 

In  1852,  Henrietta  Tower,  also  Stella  Parker,  were  teach- 
ers. Ten  years  later  Harriet  Wright  taught  her  54th  term  here. 

In  1865,  with  the  schoolhouse  unfit  for  use  and  the  teacher 
having  to  "board  around"  at  six  different  places,  some  of  them 
a  long  distance  from  the  schoolhouse,  good  schools  would  be 
an  exception  and  not  a  rule.  A  year  later  this  house  was  re- 
paired. 

District    No.    13  —  Springfield    and    Chester 

A  commodious  schoolhouse  was  erected  in  1852.  In  1869 
there  were  only  16  weeks  of  school  for  the  year,  hardly  enough 
to  answer  the  requirements  of  the  law.  This  school  had  much 
to  do  to  keep  pace  with  others  in  the  town. 

District    No.    13  —  Springfield  and  Weathersfield 

This  district  was  what  is  known  to  us  as  Kendrick's 
Corners. 

In  the  very  earliest  days  there  was  no  school  in  this  dis- 
trict, the  pupils  having  to  attend  school  in  North  Springfield. 

103 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


In  1863,  however,  a  building  was  started  at  the  Corners,  and 
Daniel  Chittenden  is  mentioned  as  committeeman. 

Among  the  early  teachers  were  Rachel  Elliot,  who  be- 
came Mrs.  Wesley  Lockwood;  Emma  White,  daughter  of 
Moses  White;  Marcia  Bowen  and  Carrie  Elliot,  wife  of  Joel 
Woodbury.  Mrs.  Flora  (Pierce)  Brown,  at  the  age  of  14  or 
15,  taught  a  school  of  20  pupils  here. 

It  was  in  this  schoolhouse  that  Henry  Bowles  of  Spring- 
field,  Mass.,  received  the  rudiments  of  his  education,  as  well 
as  many  another  who  went  forth  to  fill  a  large  place  in  the 
world. 

District    No.    12  —  Busn    District 

This  schoolhouse  was  built  about  1810  by  Dana  Graham. 
Early  teachers  were  Frances  H.  Fisher,  Hattie  Steele  and 
Sarah  V.  Howe. 

In  1867  the  schoolroom  was  poor,  the  only  apparatus  a 
small  blackboard  and  for  furniture  a  broken  chair.  The  schol- 
ars were  meagrely  provided  with  books.  A  reading  class  of 
nine  had  but  two  well-worn  readers,  while  the  teacher  had 
none.  In  1871  the  principal  need  seemed  to  be  pupils.  The 
schoolroom  was  pleasant  and  comfortable  when  you  entered 
it,  but  some  pupils  had  to  travel  by  '"long  measure"  to  reach  it. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  fall  term  of  1896  the  Bush 
district  was  discontinued  and  the  scholars  went  to  Goulds  Mills. 

District    No.    18  —  Goulds    Mills 

This  was  formerly  called  Morris  Mills.  The  first  school- 
house  here,  a  frame  building  covered  with  boards  and  clap- 
boards, was  erected  on  the  present  site. 

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Old    Schools    of    Springfield 


In  1866  the  schoolroom  was  repaired  but  not  enlarged.  It 
was  too  small  and  low  for  its  requirements.  At  times  in  the 
winter  there  were  as  many  as  60  scholars. 

Some  of  the  older  teachers  were  Ephraim  Walker,  Samuel 
Hemenway,  a  Mr.  Ball  and  Elizabeth  Dartt.  The  pupils  were 
the  Whites,  Towers,  Eatons,  Thorntons,  Randalls,  Rices,  Whip- 
pies,  Tyrrells,  Allbees,  etc. 

It  is  stated  that  they  had  the  best  spellers  in  town  here.  At 
one  time  the  village  school  came  to  spell  them  down.  John  C. 
Holmes  was  put  forward  to  do  it,  but  he  had  to  sit  down. 
James  White's  sister,  Rachel  White,  stood  up  to  the  end. 

Miss  Nellie  Brown  taught  here  in  1871,  and  Luthera 
Whitney  in  1879. 

District    No.    14 

In  March,  1813,  it  was  voted  to  unite  what  was  then  dis- 
tricts, Nos.  17  and  18,  into  one  with  the  name  of  No.  17,  while 
in  September,  1838,  it  was  voted  that  the  17th  district  be  divid- 
ed and  that  Daniel  Hall's  south  line  should  be  the  division  line, 
and  that  the  south  part  retain  the  name  of  No.  17  and  the  north 
part  take  the  name  of  No.  19.  This  same  year  the  17th  district 
built  a  schoolhouse,  while  in  1839  the  14th  school  district,  hav- 
ing in  the  opinion  of  some  become  disorganized,  was  duly  or- 
ganized by  John  Perkins  and  one  of  the  selectmen.  A  school- 
house  was  built  that  year.  In  1839  said  district  voted  to  unite 
with  No.  17,  and  in  1840  it  was  voted  by  the  town  to  combine 
Nos.  14  and  17 — some  of  the  lands  in  No.  19  being  added — 
to  form  one  district,  No.  17,  and  annex  some  other  lands  of  No. 
19  to  the  ninth  district. 

After  much  agitation  in  several  town  meetings  it  was  voted 
to  set  off  the  14th  district  from  the  17th,  to  which  it  was  an- 

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Folklore    of    Springfield 


nexed,  and  take  the  name  of  No.  14  as  formerly.  In  1852  the 
summer  term  in  "Skunk  Hollow,  or  Pleasant  Valley,"  as  No. 
14  is  called,  was  taught  by  Freelove  Hawkes  of  Chester.  In 
1867  we  find  district  No.  14  including  No.  17,  school  being 
kept  in  the  house  of  17.  In  1872  the  house  which  before  gave 
hardly  "half  the  road"  to  passers-by  was  moved  back,  covered 
and  painted  outside,  and  partially  renovated  inside. 

Other  teachers  here  were  Benjamin  Hale,  Stella  Parker. 
Elsie  Bradley  and  R.  S.  Herrick. 

District    No.    7 

It  was  formerly  on  the  east  side  of  the  village,  and  the  first 
schoolhouse  near  the  village  was  situated  on  this  side.  The  hill 
road,  now  called  Cherry  Hill  street,  passing  by  the  homes  of 
Eugene  Stickney  and  E.  R.  Fellows,  was  once  called  Bragg's 
Hill,  and  the  man  whose  name  was  used  to  designate  this  hill 
lived  in  a  farmhouse  which  stood  on  the  site  of  Dr.  B.  A.  Chap- 
man's residence.  In  1849  the  old  cemetery  house  in  the  corner 
of  the  cemeterv  opposite  the  home  of  E.  C.  Davis,  the  farm- 
house where  Dr.  Chapman's  residence  now  stands,  and  the 
Smiley  homestead  were  the  only  houses  above  the  Mason 
place.  The  father  of  A.  M.  Allbee  lived  at  one  time  in  the  cem- 
etery house,  and  he  stated  that  there  was  a  shoemaker's  shop 
where  Mr.  Davis  now  lives,  and  many  years  before  a  school- 
house  stood  there. 

In  1801  it  was  voted,  "that  the  7th  school  district  have 
liberty  to  build  a  schoolhouse  on  the  northeast  corner  of  the 
land  deeded  to  the  town  by  Lester  Fling."  Later  a  second 
schoolhouse.  a  frame  structure,  was  built  on  the  south  end  ol 
the  Common. 

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Old    Schools    of    Springfield 


In  the  school  report  of  1862  we  find: — "The  exchange  of 
the  old  worthless  house  for  the  neat  and  commodious  brick 
house  in  this  district  does  honor  to  the  builders  and  is  of  de- 
cided advantage  to  the  scholars." 

Successful  teachers  here  were  Joseph  W.  Ellis,  Mary 
Tolles,  Edward  H.  Pettingill,  Selina  Howe  and  Justus  Dartt. 

Private    Schools 

Mrs.  Charles  Porter  kept  a  private  school  at  the  Dana 
place  for  three  or  four  fall  terms  in  the  1840's.  This  was  held 
just  afternoons  and  was  made  up  of  six  or  eight  scholars,  in- 
cluding her  son,  Charles,  and  a  girl  who  lived  with  them, 
Robert  Colburn  and  Emma  Cady.  Mrs.  Porter  was  excellent  in 
book  knowledge,  but  so  far  as  the  culinary  art  was  concerned 
this  is  a  sample:  After  boiling  eggs  for  half  an  hour  one  day, 
she  remarked,  "Why,  they're  just  as  hard  as  when  put  on." 

In  those  days  in  the  fall  of  the  year  many  times  they  had 
what  they  called  "subscription  schools."  One  such  school  was 
made  up  of  about  20  scholars  at  20  cents  a  week,  with  Miss 
Holden  as  teacher. 

District    No.    8 

This  district  on  the  west  side  of  the  village  was  known  as 
the  Brown  district;  because  in  1802,  when  Enos  Brown's  father 
built  for  a  tavern  the  "Holt  House,"  what  is  known  as  Seminary 
flat  was  Mr.  Brown's  farm,  of  which  he  was  very  proud.  There 
were  only  three  houses  on  Park  street  beyond  the  Brown 
place — the  old  house  in  which  Mrs.  Emery  lived  (which  was 
burned  and  Bradford  Harlow  afterwards  built  on  the  spot) 
where  a  school  was  maintained  taught  by  Rufus  Ranstead;  the 

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Folklore    of    Springfield 


little  brown  house  of  Mr.  Philbrook,  which  Isaac  Ellis  tore 
down,  and  one  farther  south  where  Tid  Wright  lived. 

There  were  only  two  houses  on  Union  street  until  the  home 
of  the  late  F.  C.  Davis  was  reached.  A  brick  schoolhouse  stood 
just  across  the  ravine  from  the  present  home  of  Mrs.  George 
Burke,  and  three  dwelling  houses  now  occupy  the  spot. 

Misses  Gratia  Allbee,  Stella  Parker  and  Sarah  Howe  were 
teachers  here.  Miss  Ursula  Cotton  taught  here  in  1859,  while 
in  1853  the  summer  term  was  taught  by  Marv  Pettingill  of 
Grafton,  with  28  scholars,  and  the  winter  school  by  Charles 
Brigham  of  Barnard. 

Springfield    Wesleyan    Seminary 

In  the  year  of  1806  the  Methodist  society,  small  as  it  was. 
decided  to  build  a  house  of  worship.  Hitherto  they  had  held 
services  in  dwelling  houses  and  school  houses.  Land  for  the 
purpose,  situated  on  the  corner  of  Chester  and  Prospect  streets, 
was  bought  of  Elisha  Brown  and  deeded  by  him  to  Asahel 
Powers,  Samuel  Haskins,  Nathaniel  Burgess.  Lemuel  Maynard 
and  Jotham  Britton,  trustees  of  the  Methodist  church  in  Spring- 
field, the  8th  of  May.  1806.  The  house  was  built  of  brick  and. 
for  the  lack  of  funds,  work  was  suspended  in  the  fall, 
leaving  the  building  enclosed  but  entirely  unfinished  inside. 
The  main  floor  and  the  gallery  which  ran  around  the  three 
sides  had  but  rough  board  floors,  and  the  seats  were  unplaned 
plank  or  slabs  resting  on  shingle  blocks.  The  pulpit  on  the 
north  side  was  a  carpenter's  bench  with  a  rude  breastwork 
built  above  it.  and  the  platform  was  raised  two  steps  above  the 
bench.  For  20  years  the  people  worshipped  in  it  in  this  con- 
dition. 

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Old    Schools    of    Springfield 


About  1825  the  church  was  finished  in  a  comfortable 
manner,  through  the  efforts  of  Presiding  Elder  Fiske,  who  per- 
sonally solicited  funds  in  town  and  preached  in  schoolhouses, 
taking  collections  for  that  purpose.  Scarcely  had  the  brick 
church  been  comfortably  finished  than  the  subject  of  having 
a  church  in  the  village  (for  the  village  did  not  extend  up  the 
hill  then)  began  to  be  agitated,  and  in  1843  the  church  in  pres- 
ent use  was  built  and  the  old  house  vacated. 


SPRINGFIELD  WESLEYAN   SEMINARY 

Leonard  Chase  was  interested  in  the  cause  of  education 
and  first  conceived  the  idea  of  establishing  the  Springfield 
Wesleyan  seminary.  When  the  church  vacated  the  old  building, 
he  suggested  to  Mr.  Aspinwall  that  it  be  converted  into  a  de- 
nominational school.  The  conference  which  met  in  Springfield 
that  year  indorsed  the  proposition,  and  he  with  others  was  ap- 
pointed a  committee  to  consider  the  matter  and  establish  the 
school  if  it  were  thought  the  circumstances  would  justify  it. 
Thus  the  Springfield  Wesleyan  seminary,  a  literary  and  scien- 
tific institution,  was  formed  by  voluntary  association  July  11. 

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Folklore    of    Springfield 


1846,  under  the  patronage  of  the  Vermont  Annual  conference 
of  the  Methodist  church  and  used  for  its  purpose  the  old  brick 
meeting  house.    It  was  deeded  to  the  trustees  Oct.  20,  1846. 

The  school  was  accordingly  opened  in  March,  1847,  with 
F.  S.  Hoyt  as  principal  for  the  first  term.  The  people  of  Spring- 
field had  raised  over  SHOO  to  fit  up  the  house  and  for  the  pur- 
chase of  apparatus.  Very  little  notice  had  been  given  out  of 
town,  but  the  attendance  was  encouraging,  with  80  students,  60 
of  whom  were  from  the  town. 

The  first  board  of  trustees  appointed  by  the  conference  in- 
cluded such  man  as  Samuel  Taylor,  Russell  Burke,  Henry  Clos- 
son  and  John  W.  Bisbee.  In  the  catalogue  for  this  year  we  find 
among  the  students  were  Clinton  Chase,  Walbridge  Field,  Re- 
becca Safford,  Edmund  C.  Burke.  J.  Lincoln  Ellis,  Horace 
Hubbard,  Joseph  White,  Ellen  M.  Howe,  Elizabeth  Hubbard, 
Stella  Parker,  Emily  Royce,  Abbie  Tower,  Olivia  Burke. 

There  were  three  departments,  the  Classical,  English  and 
Primary.  Total  number  of  students  attending  for  the  year, 
261;  116  males,  145  females.  The  school  year  was  academi- 
cally divided  into  four  terms — two  of  12  weeks,  one  of  11,  and 
one  of  nine.  Tuition,  S3  for  11  weeks;  each  language,  50  cents 
additional ;  ornamental  branches,  $1 ;  music  with  use  of  instru- 
ment, S8;  writing,  including  stationery,  12  lessons  for  $1;  in- 
cidentals, l1/)  cents  per  week;  board,  $1.50  per  week,  including 
fuel  and  lights.  Many  hired  rooms  and  boarded  themselves  at 
a  much  cheaper  rate.  The  pupils  simply  went  to  the  seminary 
to  recite,  the  recitation  period  being  one  hour.  At  one  time 
there  were  about  300  students  of  both  sexes. 

Rev.  Harvey  C.  Wood  was  principal  after  the  first  term, 
up  to  and  including  1819,  during  which  year  a  boarding  house 
was  constructed  within  a  few  rods  of  the  seminarv    to  meet  the 


110 


Old    Schools    of    Springfield 


demands  for  accommodations.  The  main  building  was  of 
gneiss  and  would  accommodate  more  than  60.  Some  debt  was 
incurred,  and  the  attendance  seems  to  have  fallen  off  this  year. 

In  1865  a  committee  was  appointed  by  the  conference  to 
consider  the  propriety  of  uniting  the  two  seminaries,  Newbury 
being  the  other,  in  a  new  location.  Next  year  this  committee 
reported  favorably,  the  report  was  adopted,  and  a  committee 
appointed  to  locate  the  new  seminary.  Montpelier  was  the 
place  fixed  upon,  and  in  1868  the  trustees  of  both  institutions 
were  authorized  to  sell  these  school  properties  and  turn  the 
proceeds  over  to  the  new  seminary.  This  building  was  pur- 
chased May  19,  1869,  for  $5000  and  was  used  for  a  high 
school  until  the  winter  of  1895-6. 

Inasmuch  as  the  citizens  of  Springfield  had  donated  liber- 
ally to  the  funds  for  building  up  and  supporting  the  seminary, 
it  was  agreed  that  one-half  the  proceeds  of  the  sale  should  go 
to  the  conference  for  the  benefit  of  the  Montpelier  school  and 
one-half  for  the  public  benefit  of  the  town  of  Springfield.  The 
citizens  of  Springfield  donated  their  part  of  the  amount  re- 
ceived to  establish  a  permanent  \illage  Library  fund.  By  an 
act  of  legislature  passed  Nov.  14,  1870,  the  Springfield  Wes- 
leyan  seminary  was  legislated  out  of  existence.  On  March  18, 
1871,  an  agreement  was  entered  into  between  the  trustees  and 
the  town  of  Springfield,  by  which  the  town  became  bound  to 
receive  and  forever  hold  the  fund  given  by  the  trustees  of  the 
seminary,  the  interest  at  the  legal  rate  of  the  state  to  be  paid 
to  the  trustees  of  the  library  each  year.  The  amount  of  the 
fund  thus  received  was  $2533.68.  The  town  also  became  obli- 
gated to  pay  to  the  trustees  the  yearly  sum  of  $200  for  the  sup- 
port of  the  town  library. 

Ill 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


Many  of  our  citizens  today  well  remember  attending  the 
Wesleyan  seminary  and  tell  some  interesting  anecdotes  con- 
cerning former  days.  August  25,  1909,  a  reunion  and  banquet 
of  the  Springfield  Wesleyan  seminary  was  held,  the  reunion 
being  in  charge  of  a  committee  appointed  for  Old  Home  day. 
The  library  has  a  complete  file  of  the  Wesleyan  catalogues 
from  1847  to  1863,  inclusive,  excepting  the  year.  1857:  also 
pictures  of  the  graduating  classes  of  1863  and  '64. 

District    No.    16 

This  comprised  the  valley  of  the  town  with  a  schoolhouse 
on  Main  street  just  north  of  the  Universalist  church,  erected 
before  the  church  about  the  year  of  1830.  It  must  have  been 
used  at  times  for  town  purposes;  for  Dec.  31.  1836,  it  was 
voted  "to  adjourn  to  the  town  room  in  the  village  schoolhouse 
and  there  assemble  forthwith." 

In  1837-8  there  was  a  select  school  kept  by  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Wilder  in  the  Tontine  (Sparrow  block)  and  later  in  the  school 
building  on  Main  street.  The  pupils  were  all  local  or  from 
nearby  towns.  The  studies  were  arithmetic,  grammar,  history, 
chemistry,  Latin,  drawing  and  painting.  They  tried  to  write 
compositions,  but  it  did  not  amount  to  much.  It  was  a  mixed 
school.  Among  the  pupils  were  Mrs.  Abbie  Haskell.  Louisa 
Vi  illiams,  Albert  Brown,  the  Chases  and  Whitcombs.  Henry 
and  Bigelow  Safford,  sons  of  Noah  Safford,  Rebecca  Safford. 
mother  of  H.  B.  Holmes. 

There  was  quite  a  celebrated  class  in  drawing.  They 
learned  to  draw  by  using  the  dividers,  measuring  everything. 
leaves  and  all.  Minister  Holmes,  a  full-blooded  Englishman. 
used  to  visit  the  school.    He  approved  of  the  studv  of  chemistry 

112 


Old    Schools    of    Springfield 


on  the  grounds  that  he  should  he  loath  to  marry  a  woman  who 
did  not  know  enough  about  chemistry  to  make  a  wholesome 
loaf  of  bread. 

In  1853  there  was  a  Primary  and  Principal  school  kept  by 
Olivia  Burke  with  55  scholars  all  under  eight  years  of  age.  and 
Jane  S.  Tower  with  56  scholars.  Between  1853  and  1862  the 
schools  became  so  crowded  that  at  one  time  a  high  school  was 
kept  in  the  north  half  of  the  Congregational  vestry,  also  one 
in  the  Universalist  vestry. 

In  the  summer  of  1859  and  winter  of  1860,  Marcia  Brown 
taught  the  upper  department  of  a  school  in  the  building  by  the 
church.  In  the  winter  a  higher  department  was  taught  by 
George  Dresser  in  the  building  which  stood  where  the  Corliss 
Hardware  company  store  is  located.  In  1862  it  was  voted  "to 
let  the  Town  hall  for  a  school  in  the  spring." 

Much  agitation  occurred  relative  to  a  new  schoolhouse,  so 
much  so  that  Joel  A.  H.  Ellis,  then  one  of  the  committee,  went 
to  work  and  staked  out  for  a  building  directly  in  front  of 
the  Main  street  schoolhouse,  as  the  law  allowed  one  to  build 
on  property  already  owned.  As  a  result,  what  is  now  the  Cath- 
olic church  was  built,  in  the  summer  of  1862,  at  a  cost  of 
S2600,  and  a  higher  department  organized,  which  was  taught 
by  such  teachers  as  Miss  Holt,  Mrs.  Mary  (Lynde)  Foster  and 
Marcia  Brown. 

In  1867  at  the  March  meeting  it  was  voted  "to  add  district. 
No.  8,  to  16,  also  to  annex  school  district,  No.  7,  to  16  and 
that  the  district  so  united  shall  take  the  name  of  No.  7.  At  the 
same  time  the  graded  system  of  schools  was  introduced  into 
this  district  by  Miss  Marcia  Brown. 

In  May,  1869,  the  Wesleyan  seminary  was  purchased  and 
a  high  school  established.    The  schoolhouse  on  the  west  side  of 

113 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


the  river  was  then  discarded,  it  not  being  a  good  location  for  a 
school,  and  the  building  was  sold  to  the  Catholic  society  in 
1872. 

In  the  first  class  to  graduate  from  the  high  school  July  1, 
1870,  were  Nellie  A.  Brown,  Mary  E.  Barnard  and  Mattie  Hall, 
with  Professor  Shaw  as  teacher. 

In  1871  we  find  amongst  the  roll  of  honor  students,  for 
being  neither  absent  or  tardy  for  a  year,  Lucia  Jenkins,  Alice 
Wheeler,  Flora  Prentiss,  Emma  Safford  and  Delia  White. 

The    Town    System 

The  question  of  adopting  the  town  system  of  schools  was 
agitated  from  year  to  year  and  finally,  by  a  vote  of  125  to  120. 
in  1886.  it  was  decided  to  make  a  change.  The  act  of  the  legis- 
lature giving  the  town  the  right  to  make  this  change  provided 
that  it  should  be  for  five  years,  but  in  1887  the  act  was  amend- 
ed making  the  stipulated  time  two,  instead  of  five,  years. 

The  old  order  of  things  in  relation  to  schools  came  to  an 
end  on  the  first  of  July.  18)89,  and  the  new  order  inaugurated 
when  all  town  superintendents  were  relegated  to  the  past.  Rev. 
G.  W.  Bailey  was  the  first  one  chosen  in  Springfield,  also  the 
last  one  to  officiate  in  that  capacity.  In  his  report  he  stated 
truly.  ""The  first  shall  be  last  and  the  last  shall  be  first." 

The    High    School    Building 

For  many  years  the  dilapidated  seminary  at  the  top  oi  the 
hill  served  as  the  subject  of  verdant  wit  and  pointless  epigram, 
while  the  pressing  need  of  a  new  school  building  was  freely 
discussed  and  as  freely  pushed  into  the  background  by  frugal 
taxpayers:    but    a   dramatic    crisis    finally    occurred    when    the 

II  I 


Old    Schools    of    Springfield 


beautiful  Parks  mansion  burned  to  the  ground,  and  the  lot  on 
which  it  stood  was  thus  made  available  to  the  town  for  pur- 
chase. A  wave  of  enthusiasm,  taken  advantage  of  by  the  right 
men  at  the  right  time,  resulted  in  the  town  voting  in  1894  to 
have  a  new  school  building.  The  school  directors — W.  H.  H. 
Putnam,  J.  W.  Pierce,  C.  A.  Forbush,  D.  J.  Boynton,  L.  M. 
Cragin  and  R.  S.  Herrick — were  made  a  building  committee. 
The  Parks  lot  deeded  to  the  town  April  1,  1894,  was  bought 
for  $2500  and  the  Rice  property  adjoining  it,  deeded  April 
22,  1894,  for  $2800. 

The  foundations  were  laid  in  the  season  of  1894  and  work 
begun  in  the  spring  of  1895.  The  building  was  completed  and 
occupied  in  the  winter  of  1895-6,  and  the  class  of  1896  was  the 
first  to  graduate  from  it  with  Herman  Dressel  as  principal  and 
Frances  Pierce  as  assistant.  This  was  the  largest  class  to  grad- 
uate up  to  that  time  from  the  high  school    and  had  18  members. 

In  1896  it  was  voted  to  sell  at  auction  or  private  sale  the 
school  propertv  on  Union,  Park,  Main  and  Summer  Hill 
streets.  R.  M.  Colburn  bought  the  Main  street  property  for 
81550,  J.  T.  Slack  the  Common  property  for  $1038.  Henry 
Howe  the  Union  street  property  for  $312,  and  Maxim  LaFoun- 
tain,  Frank  Stone.  James  Beagle,  Edmund  Brown,  K.  T.  Gif- 
ford  and  Dr.  A.  A.  Haig  the  seminary  property  for  81220.51. 

The  total  cost  of  the  new  building  was  852.250.06.  and 
this  included  the  cost  of  moving  and  repairing  the  barn  and 
making  the  road  across  the  school  lot  to  Mineral  street. 

The  schools  were  consolidated  and  reorganized  through 
the  efforts  of  J.  W.  Pierce  and  Mr.  Dressel  on  the  basis  of  the 
then  famous  "Batavia  system."  This  consisted  of  allotting  one 
class  to  a  teacher,  who  used  half  of  the  time  for  recitation  and 
the  rest  for  helping  the  pupils  prepare  their  lessons.  Also  the 
number  of  grades  was  changed  from  nine  to  eight. 


115 


CHAPTER    XII 


An  Original  Crown  Point  Marker 

ONE  of  the  choicest  heirlooms  left  to  the  town  of  Spring- 
field is  that  portion  of  the  Crown  Point  road  within  its 
borders.  In  1909  we  were  proud  to  place  the  granite 
markers  along  the  old  road,  that  those  who  come  after  may 
take  a  keen  interest  to  care  for  their  treasures.  To  Mark  C. 
LaFontaine,  one  of  Springfield's  gifted  sons,  has  come  the 
honor  of  discovering,  as  far  as  is  known,  the  only  original 
marker  ever  located  on  the  Crown  Point  road  as  it  passes 
across  our  slate. 


ORIGINAL  CROWN   POINT  MARKKR   PLACED  IN    176(1 
116 


An    Original    Crown    Point    Marker 


History  tells  us  that  in  the  spring  of  1760  Lord  Amherst 
and  General  Goffe,  with  800  men,  started  from  Went- 
worth's  ferry,  after  building  the  Block  house,  to  complete 
the  road  that  had  been  started  the  year  previous  at  Crown 
Point.  They  built  26  miles  of  road  to  the  foot  of  the  mountain, 
placing  a  milestone  at  each  mile.  At  Ascutnev  lodge,  the 
summer  home  of  the  LaFontaines,  situated  in  the  small  hamlet 


1760    CROWN    POINT    MARKER    RESTORED 

of  Amsden  in  the  town  of  Weathersfield,  Mr.  LaFontaine  found 
this  original  marker  near  the  highway  on  their  grounds.  It  is 
about  three  and  one-half  feet  by  two  and  a  half,  but  rather 
triangular  in  shape.  It  bears  the  initials  C.  P.,  dates  of  1759 
and  1760,  and  in  a  lower  corner  '"Mile  XL" 

To  make  sure  that  no  error  should  creep  into  his  find.  Mr. 
LaFontaine  sent  for  the  Vermont  state  geologist,  Prof.  G.  H. 

117 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


Perkins,  and  Ernest  W.  Butterfield,  commissioner  of  educa- 
tion of  the  state  of  New  Hampshire.  We  quote  from  Mr.  Per- 
kins' letter  as  follows: — 

"I  think  that  your  interpretation  of  the  lettering  on  the 
larger  stone,  that  on  your  own  grounds,  is  quite  correct.  It 
seems  to  me  that  the  "Mile  XI  1759"'  is  undoubtedly  there. 
*****  All  in  all,  the  find  is  an  interesting  one.  and 
I  see  no  reason  to  think  it  not  genuine." 

The  following  is  quoted  from  Professor  Butterfield's 
letter: — 

''Of  course  there  were  no  settlers  in  your  part  of  the  town 
in  1759  and  probably  none  before  1775.  By  1783  the  whole 
valley  was  well  settled  and  it  would  appear  that  for  conven- 
ience the  swamp  road  was  given  up  and  the  one  built  which 
runs  by  your  house  and  around  by  the  hillside. 

"I  think  this  is  the  case,  because  on  February  11,  1783, 
the  town  of  Weathersfield  voted  as  follows: — 

'  'February  11,  1783.  Accept  County  road.  Dr.  Downer's 
to  Mr.  Elmore's. 

"  'Accept  Crown  Point  road.  To  make  following  altera- 
tions:— Beginning  at  Cavendish,  turning  a  little  by  Stevens', 
then  coming  down  to  Potwine's  road,  then  marked  north  of  the 
old  road,  coming  in  again  north  of  the  hill.  Soon  turned  again 
and  joined  the  old  road  at  the  branch,  then  turned  from  Mr. 
Chamberlin's,  crossing  the  old  road  a  little  north  of  where  Mr. 
Dartts  road  now  comes  in  and  continues  on  east  of  Mr.  Asa 
Grout's  house;  then  as  the  trees  are  marked  along  the  side  of 
the  hill  a  little  east  of  Esquire  Chilson's  house,  then  east  as  it 
is  cut  out  between  Captain  I  pham's  and  Captain  Spofford's, 
or  near  it.  as  cut  out  then  upon  that  line  to  Springfield.'  Book 
1 ,  page  3 1 . 

118 


An    Original    Crown    Point    Marker 


"Only  the  first  part  of  this  quotation  is  of  interest  to  you. 
as  Mr.  Chamberlin  lived  where  Joseph  Woodbury  long  lived, 
and  the  Grouts,  Chilsons  and  Spoffords  lived  near  Joshua 
Upham's. 

"Now  as  I  understand  this  vote,  it  means  that  the  traveled 
road  of  1783  had  diverged  somewhat  from  the  military  road  of 
1759  and  the  traveled  road  was  accepted  for  use.  I  suppose 
that  the  Stevens  lived  at  the  first  house  in  Weathersfield  after 
you  leave  the  Cavendish  line.  It  is  likely  that  you  will  find  the 
original  road  followed  rather  closely  the  highway  from  the 
Cavendish  line  to  the  main  road  from  your  house  to  Greenbush. 
This  main  road  was  called  Potwine's  road. 

"The  accepted  road,  it  would  then  appear,  ran  north,  that 
is  towards  Downer's  from  the  earlier  road,  going  probably 
back  of  your  house  and  Kendall's  and  joining  the  military 
road  as  originally  built  not  far  from  the  lime  kilns  in  Amsden 
village.  I  should  suppose  that  this  road  back  of  your  house 
was  the  traveled  Colonial  road  for  many  years  but  was  straight- 
ened at  some  later  time  to  practically  its  original  location. 

"I  congratulate  you  upon  your  discovery;  for  I  feel  confi- 
dent that  you  have  found  a  genuine  stone  of  Goffe's  time." 

Mr.  LaFontaine  is  now  restoring  this  marker  and  adding 
a  bronze  tablet,  which  will  make  the  importance  of  his  dis- 
covery so  plain  that  the  passer-by  may  know  what  it  repre- 
sents. 


119 


t.  «s 


CHAPTER     XIII 


Folklore  Tales 

TO  know  a  few  of  the  quaint  and  humorous  tales  of  the 
early  home  huilders  of  the  town  may  add  to  our  interest 
and  pleasure,  and  those  which  are  of  an  amusing  char- 
acter all  go  to  prove  the  constant  vigilance  necessary  to  ex- 
istence when  Springfield  was  in  the  making. 

In  the  spring  of  1795,  Daniel  Howe  and  Elizabeth  (Patch  l 
Howe,  his  wife,  came  through  the  woods  on  an  ox  sled  from 
Fitzwilliam,  N.  H.,  to  settle  in  the  new  town  of  Springfield. 
Their  choice  of  a  home  was  on  Monument  Hill.  By  much  hard 
labor  they  cleared  the  land  and  made  a  large  and  very  produc- 
tive farm.  Here  they  reared  their  ten  children,  whose  descend- 
ants live  in  our  midst  today.  They  were  very  prudent,  pious 
people  and  staunch  supporters  of  the  Methodist  church. 

The  writer  has  often  been  told  by  some  of  the  older  resi- 
dents of  the  town  that  Mrs.  Howe  was  one  of  the  most  remark- 
able women  that  ever   lived  in  Springfield.    Her  fortitude  and 

120 


Folklore    Tales 


courage  were  never  daunted.  She  was  a  famous  spinner  and 
weaver  of  linen,  which  she  used  to  sell  among  the  people  and 
at  the  store,  walking  from  her  home  to  the  town  and  carrying 
the  baby.  I  Always  a  baby.  I  Sometimes  she  bought  a  cheese 
with  the  sale  of  her  linen.  To  many  of  us  the  problem  of 
transporting  a  cheese  and  a  baby  would  require  more  than 
ordinary  courage.  But  even  this  difficulty  was  quickly  over- 
come by  Mrs.  Howe;  for  she  carried  the  cheese  some  distance 
along  the  bridle  path,  then  going  back  for  the  baby  she  would 
carry  the  child  way  past  the  cheese,  and  so  on  until  home  was 
reached,  with  baby  and  cheese,  and  in  this  manner  she  carried 
any  other  purchases  she  might  make. 

Again  this  remarkable  woman  used  to  start  from  her  home 
on  horseback  with  a  babe  in  arms  and  a  bag  of  corn  at  the 
back  of  the  saddle,  riding  down  a  bridle  path  to  Goulds  Mills. 
She  forded  the  river,  going  up  over  the  hill  to  the  mill  in 
Eureka,  where  it  was  ground.  Then  Mrs.  Howe  returned  the 
same  way,  baby  and  all. 

Household  utensils  were  very  few  and  one  day  her  only 
pail  dropped  into  the  well.  Unable  to  get  it  up,  she  tied  a  rope 
around  her  waist  and  demanded  to  be  let  down  into  the  well 
to  get  the  pail.  This  was  done,  and  she  returned  in  triumph 
with  her  treasure. 

At  an  early  age  she  was  called  as  a  witness  in  court.  Her 
father  said  she  was  too  young  to  go  and  testify.  He  confined 
her  in  a  hogshead  for  some  time,  taking  her  out  at  night.  Light 
was  admitted  by  the  hogshead's  being  placed  next  a  window 
and.  while  confined  there,  she  embroidered  a  beautiful  apron, 
the  cloth  for  which  she  had  woven  the  year  before.  This  is 
kept  as  a  choice  treasure  among  her  descendants  in  the  town 
today. 


121 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


Her  grandson  told  of  her  that  she  was  a  "dreadful"  work- 
er, and  that  her  husband  was  "dreadfully"  willing  she  should 
work. 

Mr.  Howe,  with  a  neighbor,  purchased  a  dump-cart,  each 
one  owning  a  wheel.  Later  altercations  occurred  between  them, 
and  as  neither  one  would  sell  to  the  other,  the  children  of  the 
two  parties  took  the  dump  cart  and  placed  it  on  the  boundary 
line  between  the  two  farms.  There  it  stood  and  went  to  decay, 
like  "the  wonderful  one-hoss  shay." 

When  past  75,  on  a  Sabbath  day,  while  all  her  family 
were  at  church  and  Mrs.  Howe  was  alone,  a  hawk  descended 
on  her  chickens.  She  ran  out  into  the  yard,  caught  up  a  sled- 
stake,  killed  the  hawk  and  saved  the  chickens,  receiving  a  deep 
wound  in  one  hand.  This  attracted  attention  and  mention  was 
made  of  it  in  the  local  paper,  much  to  the  disgust  of  "Grand- 
mam  Howe,"  as  she  was  called,  and  she  said,  "It  was  strange 
a  person  could  not  kill  a  hawk  in  her  own  dooryard  without 
the  whole  town  knowing  it." 

Not  all  these  incidents,  or  the  spinning  and  weaving  of 
1200  yards  of  linen  annually,  were  Mrs.  Howe's  greatest 
achievements,  but  the  Christian  character  she  stamped  on  her 
children.  Her  sons  and  daughters  were  staunch  and  true,  and 
her  influence,  with  that  of  her  husband,  was  felt  throughout 
the  town. 

Frivolity  of  all  kinds  was  frowned  upon,  as  she  firmly 
believed  life  was  too  serious  a  thing  to  waste  many  precious 
moments.  She  and  her  husband  both  lived  to  a  great  age.  as  did 
their  children.  Grandchildren  and  great-grandchildren  are 
living  in  the  town  today. 

Fet  us  carry  with  us  a  breath  of  remembrance  of  the 
worthy    couple   who  came   in   those  early   days   to   help    in   the 


22 


Folklore    Tales 


upbuilding  of  our  town,  and  to  whose  memory  their  grand- 
children piled  up  the  rocks  on  Monument  Hill,  the  highest 
point  on  their  farm. 

-x-  *  *  #  * 

No  chapter  of  folklore  tales  would  be  complete  without 
reference  to  Father  and  Mother  Smiley. 

With  the  completion  of  the  meeting  house  on  the  Common 
and  the  settlement  of  a  minister  after  so  many  years  of  con- 
tention and  hard  feeling,  a  new  era  began  in  the  town  and  the 
advent  of  Father  Smiley  and  his  talented  wife  was  an  occasion 
of  great  rejoicing.  A  large  delegation  of  the  people,  among 
them  the  most  prominent  in  the  place,  met  him  at  Wentworth's 


KETTLE  used  by  ashabel  draper  in  his  serenade 
TO  FATHER  smiley  and  bride 

ferry  and  escorted  him   with  great  pomp  to   his  residence,   a 
few  rods  from  the  schoolhouse  in  Eureka. 

The  party  took  dinner  at  Jennison  Barnard's,  and  a  recep- 
tion followed  in  the  evening.    There  was  one  Ashabel  Draper, 

123 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


who  sometimes  allowed  himself  to  be  overcome  by  the  too  free 
use  of  ardent  spirits,  which  prevailed  on  such  occasions  in 
those  days.  The  leaders  of  this  affair,  wishing  to  preserve 
order  in  the  presence  of  the  new  minister,  gave  Draper  plainly 
to  understand  that  his  room  would  be  better  than  his  company. 
Thereupon  Draper  determined  to  celebrate  the  day  in  his  own 
way  and  take  a  sweet  revenge  upon  those  whom  he  considered 
no  better  than  himself.  With  the  help  of  a  few  companions  he 
procured  a  large  potash  kettle,  inverted  it  and  in  some  way 
mounted  it  like  a  bell  near  the  route  of  the  procession.  Taking 
a  hammer  he  crawled  under  it.  and  as  the  party  went  by  he 
tolled  the  bell  as  a  salute.  This  kettle  is  used  today  as  a  water- 
ing trough  near  the  old  Streeter  place,  now  the  home  of  Warren 
A  Id  rich. 

It  was  said  of  Father  Smiley,  "He  was  a  man  of  ability: 
for  he  could  offer  a  prayer  30  minutes  long,  and  stayed  in  his 
pastorate  25  years,  which  no  one  has  been  able  to  do  since." 
In  offering  these  pravers  he  always  did  so  with  his  eyes  open. 
When  asked  why,  Father  Smiley  replied.  ''The  Bible  says. 
'Watch  and  Pray'." 

Near  the  close  of  his  long  sermons  the  men  who  had  toiled 
early  and  late  during  the  week  would  often  be  drowsy.  At  such 
times  Parson  Smiley,  not  hesitating  to  address  them  personally. 
would  call  out.  "Mr.  Brown"  or  "Squire  Stevens,  will  you 
have  the  goodness  to  awake!" 

Father  Smiley  was  broad  in  his  views.  One  of  his  best 
sermons  was  on  "Worldliness."  It  came  home  so  closely  to 
one  of  his  hearers  that  in  exasperation  he  determined  to  be 
even  with  the  minister.  As  he  came  out  of  the  church  he  said. 
"You    preached    a    verv    excellent    sermon    todav.    Mr.    Smiley. 

121 


Folklore    Tales 


and  I  am  obliged  to  you  for  it,  but  hadn't  you  better  take  a 
little  of  it  to  yourself?"  "Oh,  most  of  it,  most  of  it,  and  what 
I  don't  take  I  hope  you  will  make  good  use  of." 

When  Father  Smiley  was  a  very  old  man,  he  would  walk 
up  the  church  aisle  tall  and  straight.  His  snow  white  hair  was 
braided  in  a  cue,  which  was  tied  with  a  black  ribbon.  His 
face  was  as  white  as  his  hair,  and  he  stood  there  in  the  pulpit 
as  though  lord  of  the  land.  He  wore  white  cotton  gloves  during 
the  sermon,  but  they  were  rarely  buttoned  and  usually  half 
drawn  on  his  hands.  His  right  arm  moved  slowly  back  and 
forth  when  speaking  or  praying,  and  the  effect  of  the  flopping 
fingertips  of  those  white  cotton  gloves  on  the  light-minded  and 
observing  young  people  may  be  imagined. 

He  never  spoiled  a  point  for  relation's  sake.  One  Sunday 
morning  he  preached  eloquently  on  the  folly  of  over-dressing 
and  following  after  vain  fashions  when  his  daughters,  as 
handsomely  dressed  as  any  in  his  church,  sat  opposite  him  in 
the  choir.  He  closed  as  follows:  "You  may  say,  'It  is  all  very- 
well  to  preach  to  others,  but  why  don't  you  look  at  home!'  My 
friends  I  do  look  at  home  every  day,  and  my  heart  bleeds 
when  I  do  it."  If  he  could  not  rule  his  daughters,  he  did  not 
hesitate  to  put  his  parishioners  right  when  he  thought  they 
needed  it. 

Outside  the  pulpit  Mr.  Smiley  was  the  real  old  Irish  gen- 
tleman, the  soul  of  fun  and  wit  and  very  fond  of  his  toddy, 
which  was  no  disgrace  then.  They  tell  how  a  party  climbed 
Ascutney  mountain.  Arriving  at  the  spring,  the  parson  and 
Hamlin  Whitmore  sat  down  to  rest.  After  the  others  had  gone 
on,  Hamlin  drew  forth  his  flask.  It  was  about  the  time  of  the 
first  temperance  crusade  and  Mr.  Smiley  said,  "Hamlin,  how 

125 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


is  this!  I  thought  you  had  signed  the  pledge."  "So  I  did,  so 
I  did,  but  you  know  the  clause  about  its  use  at  the  advice  of 
your  physician,  and  I  am  my  own  physician."  "Hamlin,  Ham- 
lin, you  rogue,  I  will  let  you  be  my  physician  today,"  laughed 
the  parson.  The  following  description  of  Father  Smiley  is 
given  us  by  one  who  remembers  him  as  he  used  to  come  from 
his  home  on  Cherry  Hill.  He  wore  a  tall  silk  hat  and  a  long 
broadcloth  cape  reaching  nearly  to  the  shoetops.  As  the  wind 
blew  back  the  folds  of  the  cape,  this  little  girl  used  to  remark, 
"There  comes  Father  Smiley  with  his  wings  spread." 

In  coming  down  from  his  home  in  Eureka  one  windy 
Sabbath  morning,  as  he  drew  near  Captain  Lynde's,  his  tall 
hat  blew  off,  the  wind  taking  it  towards  Mt.  Ararat,  beyond 
his  reach,  with  his  sermons  for  the  day  in  it.  Calling  at  Mr. 
Lynde  s.  he  told  of  his  loss  and  they  speedily  dispatched  a  man 
for  the  missing  hat,  who  soon  brought  it  back  with  the  ser- 
mons unharmed. 

.Mother  Smiley  was  a  quiet  woman,  not  given  to  much 
humor  or  fun.  She  had  a  fashion  of  getting  her  own  way.  in 
the  house  and  out  of  it.  When  Father  Smilev  came  into  pos- 
session of  his  land  and  decided  to  build  a  new  home.  Mother 
Smiley  especially  wished  it  to  stand  true  with  the  compass, 
and  when  it  was  staked  out  she  went  home  and  told  her  hus- 
band it  was  all  wrong.  He  interviewed  the  workmen,  who 
maintained  that  they  were  right  and  Mrs.  Smilev  wrong, 
lather  Smiley  reported  this  to  his  wife,  who  said  nothing.  One 
very  bright  moonlight  night,  when  they  were  living  in  the  old 
Boutelle  home,  leaving  Father  Smiley  and  all  the  little  Smileys 
tucked  in  their  beds,  she  stole  out  and  up  the  hill  and  moved 
the   stakes  right  according   to   her   viewpoint.    With   wise  dis- 

126 


Folklore    Tales 


cretion  she  remained  silent  until  it  was  too  late  to  disarrange 
her  civil  engineering,  and  for  years  after  Father  Smiley  used 
to  delight  in  telling  how  once  Mother  Smiley  got  the  best  of 
him. 

One  of  Mother  Smiley's  granddaughters  writes  this: — 
"Grandma  always  sat  up  late  to  read  by  the  south  win- 
dow, placing  her  light  on  the  windowsill.  This  could  be  seen 
from  the  Common  and  many  homes  on  the  hillside,  and  the 
people  used  to  watch  for  the  light  in  the  window;  for  they 
knew  Mother  Smiley  was  studying — first,  her  Bible,  then  his- 
tory, politics,  doings  of  congress,  current  events,  etc.  I  do  not 
think  there  was  a  woman  in  Springfield,  perhaps  not  a  man,  so 
thoroughly  well  read  as  she  in  those  early  days.  Grandma  was 
never  humorous,  but  more  inclined  to  be  serious;  was  not  a 
great  talker,  was  no  gossip,  and  indulged  in  very  little  small 
talk.  She  enjoyed  discussions  on  theology  with  her  husband's 
ministerial  friends  better  than  an  afternoon  spent  with  her 
lady  friends,  hunting  up  the  short-comings  of  her  neighbors. 
She  was  a  worth-while  woman,  full  of  loving  charity  for  all, 
and  ready  to  help  everyone  in  every  way  possible." 

Father  Smilev  was  chaplain  of  a  regiment  which  at  one 
time  assembled  for  training  in  Bellows  Falls.  At  inspection 
the  officer  of  the  day,  who  was  a  conceited  sort  of  a  fellow, 
found  fault  with  some  detail  of  the  chaplain's  uniform  and 
reproved  him  in  words  unbecoming  an  officer  and  a  gentleman. 
The  next  public  prayer  by  Chaplain  Smiley  began  as  usual, 
with  petitions  for  the  president,  the  governor,  etc.,  and  then — - 
"Oh  Lord,  bless  our  inspector,  pardon  his  honest  blunders  and 
send  down  upon  him  a  large  measure  of  wisdom  and  under- 

127 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


standing"  rolled  out  of  his  mouth  in  such  oilv  brogue  we  mav 
be  sure  the  listeners  appreciated  the  point. 

The  way  the  parson  got  his  firewood  was  at  least  unique. 
His  parishioners  gathered  one  day  each  winter,  when  he  lived 
on  the  farm,  and  went  into  the  woodlot,  felling  trees  and 
drawing  up  the  logs  to  the  house.  One  days  work  brought  a 
years  supply  of  wood.  They  made  half  a  dozen  trips,  and  the 
parson  had  the  water  over  the  fire  and  all  the  ingredients 
for  a  fine  glass  of  hot  toddy  for  the  company — at  every  trip! 
He  passed  the  toddy  himself  and.  with  "I  will  join  you  boys/' 
he  drank  a  glass  with  them.  At  the  close  of  the  day  everyone 
had  a  very  rosy  view  of  life. 

In  1825  Father  Smiley  resigned  his  pastorate  after  21 
years  of  service  and  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life  here  among 
the  people  he  had  loved  and  served  so  well. 

Mrs.  Achsa  Emery,  for  many  years  a  tailoress.  whose  work 
brought  her  into  many  families  in  the  town,  told  that  she  al- 
ways knew  when  Parson  Smiley  arrived  where  she  was  work- 
ing: for  after  the  formal  greetings  he  always  inquired:  "And 
how  many  children  have  you,  madam?"' — regardless  of  h<»\\ 
short  a  time  entervened  between  his  calls. 

#  -if  *  •::•  -::- 

Levi  Harlow  came  to  Springfield  in  1783.  bringing  his 
family  on  an  ox  sled.  It  is  said  that  lie  made  the  first  brick  in 
town.  In  1795  he  made  brick  for  Jennison  Barnard  in  Eureka. 
Thev  mixed  the  mortar  with  shovel  and  hoe. 

>.i  #  n  »  -:> 

Elijah  Whitney,  son  of  Lemuel,  about  1800  was  ;i  success- 
ful hunter  with  dog  and  gun.  His  sales  of  peltry  were  a  source 
of  considerable  profit  in  his  earlv  life,  and  he  was  accustomed 

1 28 


Folklore    Tales 


to  say  that  he  had  killed  more  foxes  than  Samson  turned  into 
the  Philistines'  corn! 

■»  •::-  ■>.!■  •::-  * 

Early  Thanksgiving  Proclamations 
The  records  of  the  Vermont  Council  of  Public  Safety  con- 
tain the  following  item  under  date  of  November  14,  1777: — 

"Resolved,  That  Thursday,  the  4th  day  of  December  next, 
be  and  hereby  is  appointed  to  be  observed  as  a  day  of  public 
thanksgiving  and  prayer  throughout  the  state  of  Vermont. 
"By  order  of  the  Council. 

Jonas  Fay, 

Sec'y." 
On  October  9,  1778.  the  General  Assembly  of  Vermont 
voted  that  Thursday,  October  26,  be  observed  as  a  dav  of 
Thanksgiving,  and  the  governor  issued,  on  October  18,  a 
proclamation  to  that  effect,  which  evidently  was  the  first  one 
ever  issued  in  Vermont.  The  only  copy  extant  of  this  procla- 
mation is  in  the  librarv  of  Dartmouth  college. 

The  General  Lewis  Morris  chapter,  D.  A.  R..  of  Spring- 
field   has  in  its  possession  the  original  of  the  following  letter 
of  Lewis  R.  Morris: — 
"Gentlemen : 

"Inclosed  I  do  myself  the  honor  to  transmit  you  the  en- 
closed Proclamations  for  a  Thanksgiving,  that  the  town  of 
Springfield  may  have  the  earliest  information  of  that  event.  I 
send  two  copies  that  thev  may  be  published  in  the  town  in  such 
places  as  they  may  think  proper. 

I  am  Gentlemen 
with   respect   and   esteem 
vour   most   obedt.   servant 

L.  R.  Morris. 
General  Assembly.  1  795. 

129 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


One  of  the  choice  treasures  of  the  \  ermont  Historical 
society  is  a  chest  of  rare  design,  presented  by  a  descendant  of 
Gen.  Lewis  Morris.  This  chest  was  brought  to  America  by  the 
Hessians  and  was  used  as  a  strong  box  for  the  money  and 
valuables  of  the  regiment.  It  was  captured  at  the  Battle  of 
Trenton  and  later  fell  into  the  hands  of  Richard  Morris,  chief 
justice  of  the  Supreme  court  of  New  York.  It  was  sent  by  him 
to  his  son,  Lewis  R.  Morris,  of  Springfield,  \  t..  "to  secure  your 
valuables  from  that  dishonest  and  reckless  population  of  the 
Green  Mountain  state,  who  have  held  against  the  just  and  true 
claims  of  New  York." 

Gen.  Lewis  Morris  was  a  gentleman  educated  and  accom- 
plished more  than  was  common  at  that  time,  of  a  fine  and 
imposing  presence  and  pleasing  manners,  a  leader  in  the  socie- 
ty of  his  dav.  A  military  training  and  bearing  made  him  often 
chosen  as  commanding  officer  in  the  military  displays.  These 
circumstances,  together  with  his  large  property  interests,  gave 
him  more  prominence  than  perhaps  any  other  man  in  Spring- 
field or  Charlestown  enjoyed.  His  residence  on  the  Connecticut 
river  was  for  a  long  time  the  finest  in  the  country.  The  location 
of  the  mansion  fronting  the  river  and  meadow,  with  the  rocky 
Skitchewaug  in  the  background,  would  be  hard  to  excell  in 
variety  and  beauty  of  scenery  anywhere.  Here  lie  raised  a 
family  of  stalwart  sons  and  one  daughter. 

General  Morris  prided  himself  on  his  dining  room  ap- 
pointments and  service,  all  meals  being  served  with  great  dig- 
nity. He  entertained  most  lavishly  and  distinguished  guests 
from  all  parts  of  the  country  came  to  sit  around  his  board. 
He  dressed  with  greatest  care  for  each  meal  and  required  all 
members  of  his  family  to  do  the  same.    Dr.  Calvin    Hubbard. 


130 


Folklore    Tales 


father  of  Mrs.  Joseph  White,  was  the  Morris  family  physician 
for  many  years  and,  when  called  professionally,  he  was  ex- 
pected to  wear  the  best  clothes  he  possessed  and  remain  to  the 
following  meal,  at  which  a  special  topic,  previously  prepared, 
was  the  subject  of  conversation.  A  refusal  would  have  been 
considered  very  discourteous. 

Dr.  Hubbard's  sister,  Ruth,  was  a  tailoress  and  made  all 
of  General  Morris'  clothes.  The  finest  of  broadcloths  and  the 
most  elegant  satins  for  vests  were  sent,  and  Miss  Hubbard  was 
expected  to  cut  and  fit  each  and  all  garments  to  perfection. 

-:«■  *  *  «•  * 

The  site  of  the  plant  of  the  Fellows  Gear  Shaper  company, 
which  purchased  its  first  parcel  of  land  in  1896,  seems  to  have 
been  the  chosen  spot  for  numerous  activities  in  the  last  one 
hundred  and  fifty  years.  We  are  told  that  at  first  the  Indians 
and  wolves  held  full  sway,  and  until  1836  nothing  is  written  of 
this  particular  spot.  In  that  year  the  Village  Falls  Manufac- 
turing company,  a  stock  concern,  was  formed,  which  owned 
the  woolen  mill,  cotton  mill  and  other  industries.  The  new 
company  erected  on  this  land  a  paper  mill  for  making  letter 
paper.  The  machinery  was  bought  in  Claremont,  N.  H.,  drawn 
over  Ashlev's  ferry  and  thence  to  Eureka.  The  road  had  just 
been  built  from  the  little  schoolhouse  in  Eureka  to  the  ferry. 
The  load  was  heavy  and,  when  they  came  to  Maple  Hill  near 
the  Barnard  place,  they  were  unable  to  handle  it.  Jennison 
Barnard  came  to  their  assistance  with  five  yoke  of  oxen  and 
drew  it  up  the  hill.  It  being  down  grade  the  remainder  of  the 
way  they  met  with  no  further  difficulty. 

During  the  business  panic  of  1837  the  Village  Falls  Man- 
ufacturing  companv   failed,   and  the   property   came   into  the 

131 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


hands  of  Irving  Blake,  who  ran  the  business  until  Nathan 
Wheeler  of  Grafton,  \t.,  took  it  over.  At  his  death,  about 
1842.  Dr.  E.  A.  Knight,  who  had  come  to  town,  married  Na- 
than Wheeler's  only  daughter  and  became  superintendent  of 
the  paper  mill,  which  position  he  held  until  1845.  In  this  year 
Henry  Barnard  bought  the  property  and  owned  it  until  1848, 
when  it  was  destroyed  by  fire. 


STENCIL  TOOL  WORK'S  OF  A.   .1.   FULLAM     STOOD  ON   SITE   OF 
PRESENT   FELLOWS    GEAR  SHAPER   CO.    PLANT 

Moses  Barrett  then  purchased  the  lot  and  erected  on  it  a 
lullv  equipped  sawmill  with  all  wood-working  machinery,  lb' 
made  sash  and  blinds,  doors  and  other  parts  lor  houses. 

In  I860  Moses  Barrett  leased  a  part  of  this  land  to  A.  J. 
lullam  for  his  stencil  tool  works.  Phis  business  grew  rapidly, 
and  quite  a  large  shop  for  those  times  was  built.    The  tools  he 

132 


Folklore    Tales 


made  cut  the  letters  in  a  very  thin  brass  sheet  in  all  sizes  for 
marking  the  largest  boxes  and  also  household  linen.  The  re- 
ceipts from  this  business  reached  the  high  mark  of  $20,000  per 
year. 

There  was  another  rather  unusual  side  to  this  business. 
Mr.  Fullam  was  very  fond  of  music  and  young  people,  and 
sang  tenor  in  the  Congregational  choir.  He  had  a  room  fin- 
ished off  in  one  end  of  the  shop,  which  was  handsomely  fur- 
nished, including  a  fine  piano.  Here  were  held  many  choir 
rehearsals  and  other  musical  gatherings.  Ladies,  who  were 
then  children,  remember  numerous  sugar  parties  held  here, 
when  tables  were  spread  for  the  old-fashioned  sugar-on-snow. 
The  floor  was  then  cleared  and  dancing  followed.  Others  re- 
member parties  in  the  summer  when  they  played  grace  hoops 
on  the  lawn  and  were  even  served  with  ice  cream,  a  rare  deli- 
cacy in  those  days. 

This  building  was  burned  about  1867  one  very  windy 
night  in  the  early  spring.  The  shingles  blew  onto  Summer 
street  buildings  and  up  onto  what  is  now  called  Hillcrest,  and 
many  men  were  obliged  to  climb  to  the  roofs  of  their  houses 
and  pour  on  water  to  extinguish  fire  caused  by  sparks  from 
these  burning  shingles. 

The  next  industry  here  was  the  Cab  Ellis  Co-operative 
Works,  where  they  made  fancy  wooden  boxes,  paper  boxes, 
wooden  dolls  and  paper-mache  baskets.  This  venture  was  not 
wholly  successful  and  was  followed  by  Slack,  Burke  &  Whit- 
more,  who  made  fertilizer  from  old  bones  and  chemicals,  which 
proved  very  disturbing  to  the  village  folks  and  resulted  in  its 
final  removal. 

From  1886  to  1891  Frank  Spellman  occupied  this  location 
for  a  paint  shop,  then  J.  0.  Perkins  and  W.  D.  Woolson  used 
it  for  a  time  as  a  dye  works. 

133 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


We  will  not  tell  in  detail  of  the  various  business  enter- 
prises in  what  was  known  as  Cab  Shop  hollow,  or  Mineral 
street;  because  from  Isaac  Fisher's  small  shop  for  repairing 
carding  machines  to  the  largest  shoddy  mill  in  the  world  is  a 
long  story,  and  we  will  only  mention  that  there  were  vats  for 
tanning  leather,  the  making  of  farm  baskets,  the  first  doll  cabs 
ever  on  the  market,  a  woolen  mill  and  several  smaller  indus- 
tries. 

*  #  *  ♦  •» 

Sometime  between  1830  and  1837  Jewett  Boynton  built 
a  cocoonery  and  hatching  shed  on  what  is  now  known  as  the 
Burroughs  place  in  Weathersfield,  near  Springfield.  Mulberry 
trees  were  cultivated  quite  extensively  and  an  attempt  was 
made  to  establish  a  profitable  business,  but  the  general  under- 
standing prevails  that  as  a  paying  proposition  it  was  a  failure. 
Probably  a  good  many  people  were  familiar  with  the  long 
shed-like  structure  which  was  attached  to  the  residence  on  the 
Burroughs  farm  and  which  was  destroyed  by  fire  only  a  few 
years  ago.  This  was  the  cocoonery  and  was  provided  with  long 
tables  on  which  were  frames  where  the  silk  worms  were  fed. 
After  they  had  grown  about  three  inches  in  length,  with  plump 
green  bodies,  they  began  spinning  the  silken  thread  and  wind- 
ing it  round  and  round  themselves,  until  finally  they  were 
entirely  enclosed  in  a  cocoon  of  oval  shape.  The  hatchery  was 
a  shed,  detached  from  the  other  buildings,  from  which  the 
worms  were  transferred  to  the  cocoonery.  In  building  these 
homes  for  the  worms  great  precaution  had  to  be  taken  to  screen 
against  the  squirrels,  who  considered  a  few  dozen  of  these, 
when  full  grown,  a  rare  delicacy.  Some  of  the  mulberry  trees 
are  still  to  be  found  in  the  vicinity. 

134 


Folklore    Tales 


About  1839.  an  attempt  to  produce  cocoons  was  made  on 
the  farm  now  owned  by  Horace  Brown,  but  known  to  nearly 
everyone  as  the  Slack  farm.  The  two-story  structure,  at  present 
forming  the  main  part  of  the  residence,  was  built  for  a  cocoon- 
ery and  was  situated  a  little  to  the  east  of  the  site  on  which  it 
now  stands,  the  present  ell  being  at  that  time  the  residence. 
After  about  two  years'  trial,  the  scheme  was  abandoned,  and 
the  building  removed  to  its  present  location  and  converted  into 
the  main  part  of  the  house. 

At  nearly  the  same  time  Mr.  Cady,  the  father  of  Mrs. 
John  A.  Slack  of  Park  street,  established  a  cocoonery  on 
Summer  Hill  at  his  residence,  which  was  located  at  the  north- 
west corner  of  the  cemetery,  nearly  opposite  the  house  now 
owned  by  Egbert  Davis.  His  experience  was  practically  the 
same  as  already  related,  and  he  gave  up  the  idea. 

Joseph  Messer,  who  for  years  lived  in  the  house  now 
occupied  by  Philip  Stern  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs  leading  from 
Park  to  Prospect  street,  also  engaged  in  the  raising  of  silk 
worms  and  one  year  received  the  highest  bounty  from  the  state 
for  producing  the  most  cocoons.  He  invented  a  machine  for 
reeling  the  silk  from  these.  The  silk  was  then  sent  to  Newport, 
N.  H.,  where  it  was  twisted,  colored  and  made  into  a  good 
quality  of  sewing  silk.  This  was  before  the  seminary  was 
established  here,  and  Mr.  Messer  one  year  occupied  the  old 
meeting  house  for  feeding  and  growing  his  silk  worms.  The 
meeting  house  was  on  the  site  of  the  old  high  school  building, 
where  John  Hooper's  residence  at  present  stands.  The  business 
was  not  a  success  because  of  the  climate.  The  mulberry  trees 
winter  killed  and  the  worms  sickened  and  died,  and  it  was 
finally  given  up  altogether. 

135 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


Ezekiel  Whitcomb  had  one  of  the  largest  cocooneries  in 
this  vicinity,  on  the  place  where  Walter  W.  Slack  now  lives. 
This  also  was  not  a  success  and  was  destroyed  by  fire.  In  the 
most  prosperous  year  of  the  industry  more  than  1000  pounds 
of  cocoons  were  produced  in  town. 

Raw  silk  is  a  continuous  thread,  and  preparation  for 
manufacture  includes  many  distinct  operations.  The  cocoons 
are  first  submitted  to  a  treatment  that  will  kill  the  worm  be- 
fore it  begins  to  force  its  way  out.  If  the  worm  eats  its  way 
through  the  walls  of  a  self-constructed  prison,  the  threads  will 
be  spoiled;  they  will  be  cut  into  numerous  short  pieces  and 
will  not  be  good  for  spinning  or  twisting. 

The   methods   used    are   baking   the   cocoons    in    an    oven 
heated  from  140  degrees  to  160  degrees  Fahrenheit  or  by  plac- 
ing them  in  the  hot  sun  under  glass  for  a  few  days. 
#  *  *  *  # 

Old  deeds  are  often  quaint  in  their  wording  and  most 
emphatic  and  restringent  in  their  demands.  The  following  is 
a  portion  of  the  deed  given  in  the  transfer  of  the  Frederick 
Porter  estate,  now  owned  by  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Anna  Marsh: — 

"In  front  of  said  house  no  building  is  ever  to  be  erected 
within  1 ' '■_>  rods,  beyond  the  east  line  of  the  premises  hereby 
contained,  towards  the  river  *  *  no  building  shall  ever  be 

erected  in  front  of  said  house,  nor  anv  obstruction  that  shall 
affect  the  view  of  the  village  from  the  house,  but  that  the  laud 
towards  the  view  *  *  in  front  of  said  house,  shall  be  for- 

ever hereafter  occupied  solely  for  cultivation  and  a  passage- 
way  to  the  laud  adjoining." 

There  was  to  be  no  obstruction  between  the  house  now 
owned  by  Dr.  H.  If.  Lawrence  and  the  building  just  above  that 

136 


Folklore    Tales 


occupied  by  the  Corliss  Hardware  company.  Strong  and  bind- 
ing as  this  deed  runs,  not  many  years  lapsed  before  the 
opposite  side  of  the  street  was  built  up  by  manufacturing  in- 
dustries. 

A  Group  of  Our  Oldest  Houses 
Among  the  most  interesting  sights  in  Springfield  now  is 
a  group  of  houses  of  pioneer  days,  most  of  their  dates  of 
building  clustering  around  1800,  a  time  in  the  history  of  our 
town  when  many  obstacles  had  to  be  overcome  to  gather  the 
material  for  the  erection  of  the  then  pretentious  dwellings. 
Every  citizen  in  the  town  today  should  be  justly  proud  to  point 
these  out  to  the  visitor  or  the  passing  tourist. 


?<^~ 


t  Wf  111 


FIRST  FRAME  HOUSE   IN  TOWN  OF  SPRINGFIELD 

The  oldest  of  these  was  built  about  1772  by  Col.  John 
Barrett,  who  located  on  the  Connecticut  river  on  what  is  now 
the  Butterfield   farm,  known  then  as  the  Block  House  farm. 

137 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


It  was  the  first  frame  dwelling  in  town,  and  the  road  at  that 
time  ran  on  the  other  side  of  the  house,  between  it  and  the 
river,  with  the  front  door  and  main  entrance  on  that  side. 

The  Gen.  Lewis  Morris  mansion,  also  on  the  Connecticut 
river  a  little  above  the  Butterfield  place,  is  perhaps  the  finest 
of  the  group.  A  tablet  was  found  in  the  house  bearing  the  date 
of  building,  1795,  with  the  carpenter's  name,  James  Lewis. 

According  to  L.  S.  Hayes,  the  interior  of  the  main  front 
part  of  the  house  retains  the  dominant  characteristics  of  the 
architecture  of  its  period.  The  original  ell  has  been  removed. 
This  contained  a  large  barnlike  room  that  served  as  a  kitchen 
and  living  room  for  the  servants,  with  sleeping  accommoda- 
tions above,  and  was  replaced  with  the  present  smaller 
ell.  In  the  first  one  there  were  two  eight-foot  fireplaces  and 
immense  brick  ovens.  The  style  of  architecture  is  pure  Coloni- 
al, a  spacious  hall  extending  the  width  of  the  house  with  large 
rooms  on  either  side  and  a  wide  fireplace  in  each.  The  lumber 
used  in  the  construction  of  the  house  was  cut  from  the  foresL 
nearby  and  the  bricks  for  the  great  chimneys  were  made  on 
the  premises.  The  first  shingles  on  the  house  were  not  replaced 
for  a  period  of  80  years.  The  mantels,  cornices  and  dadoes 
are  all  ornamented  with  hand  carving,  done  with  a  penknife. 
The  panels  in  the  wainscotting  are  made  with  boards  of  such 
width  that  no  joining  is  visible,  and  the  finish  of  the  interior 
is  of  fine  selected  woods. 

Elisha  Brown,  familiarly  known  as  "Brigadier"  Broun, 
in  1797  built  the  house  now  owned  by  Milton  Harlow  at  the 
corner  of  Park  and  Union  streets.  In  1802  he  built  the  tavern 
known  as  the  Holt  house,  now  owned  by  Myron  Whitcomb,  in 
which  he  took  great  pride.    At  his  death  he  left  money  for  its 

1  38 


Folklore    Tales 


upkeep  and  his  son,  Jonathan,  ran  the  tavern  until  his  death 
and  then  another  son,  Enoch,  had  it  for  a  time.  When  this 
tavern  was  built  there  were  no  roads,  only  bridle  paths,  marked 
by  blazed  trees. 

In  the  old  Daniel  Field  mansion,  now  the  home  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  E.  C.  Beers,  we  have  a  house  of  a  type  peculiar  to  itself. 
It  was  built  in  1799,  and  its  original  length  was  100  feet,  12 
feet  having  been  removed  some  years  since.  The  fireplaces  with 
their  carved  mantels  and  the  panelling  remain  intact  today. 

The  Boutelle  house,  now  owned  by  J.  T.  Slack,  belongs  to 
this  group,  as  it  was  built  in  1802  by  Eliot  Lynde.  It  still 
retains  its  original  shape. 

Father  Smiley's  house  on  Cherry  Hill  was  built  in  1816, 
and  here  again  the  carved  fireplaces  have  been  preserved.  We 
have  previously  mentioned  its  early  history. 

Many  anecdotes  are  told  of  General  Morris,  among  others 
the  following,  told  by  L.  S.  Hayes  as  showing  the  whole-heart- 
ed, generous  nature  of  the  man:  At  one  time  Mrs.  Morris  went 
to  Brattleboro  with  her  children  for  a  few  days.  When  General 
Lewis  started  to  drive  down  after  them,  something  which  he 
heard  in  Charlestown  changed  his  plans  and  he  returned  home 
at  once.  It  seems  that  the  kitchen  and  farm  help  conceived 
this  to  be  a  proper  time  for  a  merry-making  and  they  were 
preparing  a  royal  dinner,  eggs,  loaf  sugar,  raisins  and  other 
stores  from  the  parlor  larder  being  freely  drawn  upon,  and 
all  other  business  stopped.  Suddenly  the  master  of  the  house 
stood  in  the  kitchen  door.  Horror  seized  them,  but  General 
Morris,  without  a  frown,  went  in  and,  taking  the  proper  uten- 
sils, helped  prepare  the  feast,  after  which  he  sat  down  and  ate 
with  them,  seeing  that  all  were  well  served  of  the  best.    When 

139 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


the  meal  was  ended  he  said  in  a  tone  of  confident  authority 
something  like  this:  "Now,  hoys  and  girls,  you  have  had  a  fine 
frolic  and  a  grand  dinner,  we  have  all  had  a  good  time,  hut 
this  won't  happen  again." 

The  old  house  now  occupied  by  Edward  Hall  and  his 
sisters  was  built  about  1802  or  '04.  It  is  of  interest  to  note 
that  the  deed  given  to  the  grandfather,  Caleb  Hall,  in  1835 
was  from  Leonard  Walker,  familiarly  known  as  Squire  Walker. 
The  wine  cellar,  12  feet  below  the  main  cellar,  is  still  intact. 
The  barroom  was  on  the  south  side  and  fitted  up  with  several 
little  cupboards  for  storing  the  wine. 

James  Litchfield  came  to  Springfield  from  Scituate,  Mass. 
In  1798  he  built  the  house  where  Roy  Whitney  now  lives,  and 
the  outline  is  practically  the  same  today.  In  1802  he  bought 
land  and  erected  the  old  Lincoln  Ellis  house  on  what  was  then 
called  "Pine  Hill"  and  there  spent  the  remainder  of  his  days. 

In  the  old  D.  J.  Boynton  house  at  North  Springfield  we 
have  the  distinction  of  a  place  where  the  Indians  held  their 
dances.  This  was  built  in  1800,  and  Nathan  Lockwood  added 
the  brick  front  in  1819  or  '20. 

One  of  Our  Pioneer  Women 

Miss  Betsey  Barrett,  or  Aunt  Betsey,  as  she  was  called  by 
the  old  and  young  of  two  generations,  was  one  of  the  pioneer 
women.  In  her  vouth  she  attended  school  on  the  Common  and 
the  famous  school  in  Eureka,  walking  every  day  from  her 
father's  house,  which  he  bought  in  1791  of  Thomas  Cook, 
grandfather  of  Selden  Cook  I  now  the  Charles  Williams  place 
above  the  old  Lincoln  Kill's  home  l .  and  fitted  herself  for 
teaching. 

1  10 


Folklore    Tales 


Miss  Barrett  possessed  a  strong  mind,  had  the  courage  of 
her  convictions,  and  to  believe  a  thing  was  right  was  with  her 
to  do  it.  It  is  related  of  her  that  a  fire  broke  out  on  a  Sunday 
in  a  building  near  the  river,  west  of  the  Falls  bridge  and  the 
men,  not  liking  to  wet  their  Sunday  clothes,  were  very  dainty 
in  handling  the  water  buckets.  Aunt  Betsey,  seeing  where  the 
trouble  lay,  took  a  bucket  and  sprang  into  the  mill  pond  where 
the  water  was  waist  deep  and,  filling  the  pail,  called  on  the  men 
to  pass  the  water  along. 

In  those  days  it  was  the  custom  for  the  taxpayers  outside 
of  the  village  to  pay  their  highway  taxes  in  labor,  or  "work  it 
out,"  as  it  was  called.  Aunt  Betsey,  as  the  owner  of  a  home- 
stead, had  a  small  tax  to  pay,  which  she  had  asked  to  have 
abated.  This  being  refused,  she  declared  she  would  work  it 
out  with  the  men.  True  to  her  word,  she  appeared  with  her 
hoe  and  set  the  men  an  example  of  industry  they  were  not 
accustomed  to.  This  proved  a  little  too  much  for  them.  At 
noon  they  told  her  she  could  go  home  and  they  would  work  out 
the  remainder  of  her  tax,  and  it  will  never  be  known  whether 
thev  preferred  the  additional  tax,  worked  out  in  their  own 
time,  or  the  quicker  pace  of  Aunt  Betsey. 

She  was  very  justly  proud  of  her  grandfather,  Col.  John 
Barrett,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Springfield.  In  conversing  with 
others,  some  incidents  in  his  life  she  would  bring  very  adroitly 
in  at  close  intervals. 

When  the  country  was  new,  this  region  especially  was 
infested  with  wolves,  and  it  was  largely  due  to  Col.  Samuel 
Hunt  that  it  was  freed  from  them  at  a  comparatively  early 
date;  for  he  was  a  noted  hunter  of  this  animal. 

141 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


The  last  great  public  hunt  of  the  kind,  it  is  believed,  took 
place  about  1797.  A  most  sagacious  wolf  had  caused  no  end 
of  disaster,  not  only  in  the  sheepfolds  of  Charlestown  but  also 
of  several  other  towns  in  the  region.  She  was  too  wise  to  be 
entrapped,  and  no  marksman  was  able  to  approach  near 
enough  to  shoot  her.  The  people,  in  desperation  at  their  loss 
of  stock,  determined  to  put  an  end,  not  only  to  her  destructive 
raids,  but  to  her  existence.  In  this  the  townships  of  Charles- 
town.  Alstead,  Acworth,  Langdon,  Walpole,  Rockingham  and 
Springfield  were  united.  The  day  was  appointed,  and  Colonel 
Hunt,  who  was  the  leader,  laid  the  trap  and  all  joined  him.  A 
circle  wide  enough  to  embrace  her  wolfship  was  formed  at  an 
appointed  time,  when  all  approached  the  center.  The  men 
from  Springfield  were  the  first  to  get  a  glimpse  of  the  wily 
animal  and  to  start  her  out.  Finding  that  her  territory  was  too 
much  molested,  she  did  not  think  best  to  stop  to  dispute  it  but 
crossed  onto  the  New  Hampshire  side  of  the  river.  This 
state,  affording  her  no  better  or  safer  retreat,  the  briefest  time 
possible  was  sufficient  to  convince  her  that  if  there  was  any 
safety  it  must  be  in  return.  Again,  therefore,  she  passed  over 
the  river,  but  it  was  only  once  more;  for  the  gathering  crowd 
drove  her  back  and  forth  like  a  mad  creature,  vainly  attempt- 
ing to  break  through  the  line,  when  Colonel  Hunt  rode  into 
the  ring  and  at  the  first  shot  from  his  musket  put  a  terminus 
both  to  the  hunt  and  her  life.  The  men  were  then  invited  to 
Colonel  Hunts  for  refreshment,  after  which  they  retired  to 
their  homes  well  satisfied  with  the  day's  work. 

•  *  *  *  ■::- 

After  Daniel  Field  had  built  his  log  house,  about  1780, 
he  returned  winters  to  Rhode  Island  to  work  at  his  trade,  that 


12 


Folklore    Tales 


of  blacksmith,  to  pay  for  his  land.  During  his  absence  one  year 
in  the  late  fall,  Mrs.  Field  noticed  the  cattle  were  being  much 
troubled  by  some  wild  animal.   She  went  out  to  investigate  and 


WORKSHOP  OF  DANIEL  FIELD,  A  REVOLUTIONARY 
SOLDIER  IN  WASHINGTON'S  ARMY 

found  a  panther  stretched  along  the  top  rail  of  the  fence.  It 
was  of  unusual  size,  and  Mrs.  Field  stated  it  reached  the  whole 
length  of  the  rail.  With  quick  decision  she  ran  into  the  cabin 
and  snatching  a  firebrand  from  the  fireplace,  she  rushed  out 
to  fearlessly  wave  it  near  the  panther,  which  beat  a  hasty 
retreat  and  did  not  return. 


Mason  Walker,  whose  home  was  where  Will  Corliss  now 
lives,  used  to  delight  in  telling  his  friends  how,  when  a  boy  of 
about  10  years,  he  went  for  the  cows  to  the  hillside  pasture, 
which   was  situated   between  what  is   now  W.   D.   Woolson's 

143 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


bungalow  and  the  Wiley  house.  One  night  it  was  almost  dark 
when  he  rounded  up  the  cows  to  start  for  home.  Suddenly 
without  warning,  they  took  to  their  heels  and  left  him.  Mr. 
Walker  just  had  time  to  step  into  the  bushes,  when  from  a 
nearby  thicket  emerged  a  large  panther,  whose  attention  was 
fixed  on  the  retreating  cows,  and  the  boy  needed  no  urging  to 
seize  the  opportunity  to  climb  the  nearest  tree  and  await  the 
disappearance  of  Mr.  Panther.  In  relating  this  story,  Mr. 
Walker   said  he  never  again  was  caught  going  for  the  cows 

at  twilight. 

***** 

An  interesting  story  is  told  in  connection  with  the  land 
near  the  Block  house,  known  as  the  "heater  piece"  from  its 
being  in  the  shape  of  a  flatiron.  A  little  later  than  1772  one  of 
Col.  John  Barrett's  men  forgot  to  bring  his  horse  from  the 
pasture  near  the  house  until  after  dark.  Taking  the  halter  he 
went  out  and  put  it  over  the  head  of  what  he  thought  was  the 
horse,  when  a  huge  black  bear  reared  on  its  haunches  and  gave 
him  a  sharp  cuff,  which  sent  him  to  the  ground,  and  bruin 
passed  quickly  into  the  nearby  woods. 

***** 

The  story  is  told  that  when  "Brigadier"  Elisha  Brown  had 
settled  on  the  farm  south  of  C.  A.  Woolson's  present  home,  a 
blanket  hung  in  the  doorway  in  lieu  of  a  door,  and  one  night 
an  old  bear  stuck  his  head  under  the  blanket. 
***** 

January  31,  1867,  a  large  panther  was  killed  in  the  rocky 
crevices  above  Downer's  hotel.  It  was  believed  by  some  that  he 
came  from  New  York  state,  while  others  were  just  as  sure  he 
strayed  down  along  the  mountain  ranges  from  Canada.   He  had 

144 


Folklore    Tales 


been  seen  by  different  people  for  several  months  before  he  was 
finally  located  among  these  rocks. 

E.  Wellman  Barnard  saw  him  one  time  drinking  at  the 
spring  of  the  "Big  Iron  Kettle"  (the  old  iron  kettle  owned  by 
Dr.  Downer  and  imported  from  York,  England,  in  1780).  At 
another  time  he  had  attempted  to  break  into  Mr.  Barnard's 
sheepfold.  He  backtracked  him  from  this  place  to  Panther 
Rock,  where  he  had  sought  shelter  the  night  before,  leaving  a 
portion  of  his  hair  frozen  to  the  rock.  Mr.  Barnard  and  a 
companion  tracked  him  through  the  snow  to  the  place  where  he 
was  afterwards  shot. 

*  *  *  *  * 

These  anecdotes  furnish  sufficient  proof  of  the  prevalence 
of  wild  animals  in  this  region. 

-»  *  «  *  ■» 

Abner  Bisbee,  the  paternal  ancestor  of  the  Springfield 
branch  of  the  Bisbee  family,  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  in 
town.  His  wife  was  a  resolute  and  courageous  woman,  and  at 
one  time,  while  the  men  were  away  and  when  there  was  an 
alarm  of  the  approach  of  Indians,  she  yoked  the  oxen  and, 
taking  her  little  ones  and  other  women  and  children,  drove  to 
the  Block  house,  which  had  been  built  on  the  Connecticut  river 
as  a  place  of  retreat  in  time  of  danger. 

*  *  «■  -;:-  * 

In  James  Whitney's  diary  is  found  this  rather  humorous 
turkey  story:  Deacon  Lewis,  on  one  occasion  while  calling  at 
Mr.  Whitney's,  hitched  his  horse  to  the  fence,  which  was 
fastened  to  a  small  tree  where  the  turkeys  roosted.  The  horse, 
becoming  restless,  pulled  down  the  fence,  which  frightened 
the  turkeys  and  they  flew  in  all  directions.    Before  they  could 

145 


Folklore    of   Springfield 


be  quieted  and  persuaded  to  return  to  the  tree,  the  foxes 
secured  several  of  the  birds,  injuring  others  so  they  had  to  be 
killed.  Deacon  Lewis  refused  to  reward  Mr.  Whitney  for  the 
loss.  The  following  night  the  latter  went  to  Deacon  Lewis' 
house  to  see  what  could  be  done  about  it.  The  deacon  finally 
purchased  two,  weighing  four  and  a  half  pounds  each,  at  10 
cents  per  pound,  declaring  that  it  was  more  than  the  birds 
were  worth  to  pick  their  bones. 

a  -::•  *  *  # 

The  following  incident  was  often  related  by  George  G. 
Barnard,  son  of  Jennison  Barnard,  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
Springfield.  Those  who  remember  his  pleasant  smile  and 
genial  manner  can  imagine  him  as  he  told  this  story  which 
he  considered  a  good  joke  upon  himself:  About  100  years  ago 
he  used  to  drive  down  over  the  hills  from  Eureka  to  call  at 
the  home  of  Deacon  Hawkins,  where  Mrs.  Franklin  Barney 
now  lives  on  Summer  street.  The  object  of  these  oft-repeated 
and  prolonged  visits  was  to  become  better  acquainted  with  the 
daughter,  Mary,  who  later  became  his  wife.  On  one  of  these 
extended  calls  Mr.  Barnard  admitted  he  stayed  later  than 
usual.  As  he  started  for  home  and  was  just  beyond  Mt.  Ararat, 
his  horse  stopped  still  in  the  road  and  refused  to  go  another 
step.  Mr.  Barnard,  looking  about  to  determine  the  cause  of  this 
abrupt  standstill,  discovered  several  peculiar  looking  ob- 
jects waving  back  and  forth  close  by  the  wall.  In  telling  the 
story,  he  admitted  his  hair  "stood  on  end,"  and  it  was  some 
time  before  he  could  get  up  courage  to  investigate  these  ghost- 
like forms.  To  his  surprise  he  found  a  flock  of  geese,  disturbed 
by  his  late  passing,  were  wagging  their  heads  in  mute  disap- 
proval.   These  geese  were  the   property  of  a  colored   woman 

146 


Folklore   Tales 


known  as  "black  Lucy,"  who  had  a  small  log  house  near  and 
by  the  sale  of  feathers  managed  to  supply  her  simple  wants. 
This  was  her  only  means  of  support. 

*  *  *  *  * 

The  famous  Wells  &  Newell  store  on  the  Hubbard  farm 
in  Eureka  (now  known  as  the  Boothby  place)  was  where  the 
farmers  carried  their  produce  to  be  converted  into  money  to 
help  build  the  meeting  house.  Years  after  when  this  store  was 
torn  down,  a  secret  panel  was  found  in  a  lower  room  and,  by 
removing  this,  all  the  implements  were  found  for  making  coun- 
terfeit money;  also  eight  dollars  in  pewter  money  and  as  much 
more  of  genuine  coin.  The  rats  had  destroyed  most  of  the 
script,  but  a  two-dollar  bill  having  the  design  of  an  Indian 
standing  upright  in  a  canoe  as  it  passed  rapidly  down  the 
stream,  which  to  the  initiated  might  imply  that  this  currency 
must  be  rapidly  passed  along,  was  considered  of  enough  value 
to  be  sent  to  the  historical  rooms  of  the  Boston  Museum,  where 
it  has  remained  until  the  present  time. 

***** 

The  Fletcher  seminary,  situated  in  what  is  now  known  as 
Kingdom  Valley,  just  over  the  line  in  Chester,  deserves  more 
than  passing  notice. 

Daniel  Fletcher  was  born  in  Chester  in  1800.  He  first 
taught  school  in  Spencer  Hollow.  After  leaving  the  neigh- 
borhood he  became  much  interested  in  Christian  work  and 
sought  to  interest  his  former  pupils  in  the  subject  of  religion. 
His  efforts  proved  successful  and  he  began  to  hold  meetings 
in  the  schoolhouse.  He  then  entered  the  ministry  and  married 
Mary  Ann  Carley,  a  governess  in  Gen.  Lewis  Morris'  family,  an 
educated  and  accomplished  teacher.    After  retiring  from  con- 

147 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


ference  work  in  1830,  he  established  a  young  ladies'  sem- 
inary, to  be  in  charge  of  Mrs.  Fletcher  as  teacher.  It  was 
called  Fletcher  seminary  and  had  a  prosperous  existence  for 
six  years  as  to  patronage.  At  one  time  there  were  40  boarding 
pupils  besides  some  day  pupils,  the  larger  portion  of  them 
girls.  Not  proving  a  financial  success,  at  the  end  of  six  years, 
or  about  the  time  the  Wesleyan  seminary  came  into  existence, 
it  was  closed,  and  the  building  is  now  used  as  a  farm  house, 
known  today  as  the  Kingdom  Valley  farm. 
*  *  *  *  * 

If  perchance  in  your  rambles  for  ''vantage  ground  to 
view  the  country  o'er"  you  should  chance  on  the  top  of  Sams 
Hill,  looking  to  the  northwest  you  will  observe  the  Skitche- 
waug  range,  while  far  away  to  the  northward  looms  "Old 
Ascutney." 

With  a  good  glass,  looking  across  the  intervening  mead- 
ows and  the  winding  Connecticut,  in  the  high  part  of  the  crest 
of  the  former  mountain,  at  a  point  nearly  opposite  the  old  Gen. 
Lewis  Morris  place,  can  be  seen  a  smooth  faced  overhanging 
ledge,  and  at  the  right  an  opening.  This  is  the  mouth  or 
entrance  of  the  famed  and  historic  "Tory  Hole.  '  once  a  roof 
aperture  or  cave  several  feet  in  length  and  breadth,  sufficiently 
roomy  to  accommodate  several  persons.  From  the  mouth  is  a 
short  descent  of  several  hundred  feet. 

A  nearer  view  can  be  obtained  by  passing  along  the  river 
road,  although  the  way  to  reach  the  goal  is  not  from  the  river 
side  but  by  a  detour  either  through  Spencer  Hollow  or  up 
through  the  walnut  grove  of  the  old  Daniel  (/ill  farm.  If  you 
attempt  a  closer  inspection,  take  along  an  Alpine  staff  and 
cordage  and   save  yourself  from   the   fate  of  the   woman   who 


Folklore    Tales 


went  a-blueberrying  up  those  rugged  sides;  and  a  companion 
who  knows  the  way  may  not  come  amiss. 

Before  a  portion  of  the  roof  fell  in  it  was  a  most  blind 
spot  to  locate  in  the  pine  and  hemlock  grove  about,  and  you 
will  readily  perceive  why  it  might  have  been  a  safe  retreat 
for  the  sympathizers  of  King  George  who  were  not  exceedingly 
popular  with  their  neighbors  during  and  after  the  period  of 
the  Revolutionary  war. 

If  you  prefer  to  tramp  it,  take  the  old  Crown  Point  road, 
visit  the  oldest  burying  ground  in  Springfield  on  the  way,  go 
past  the  cabin  site  of  Bettergneaw,  the  first  man  to  hunt  beaver 
along  the  meadows,  and  so  on  to  the  Hollow  road  near  White's 
and  Wiley's,  then  along  the  Weathersfield  Bow  road  to  the 
horse  trough,  then  over  a  wood  road  to  the  walnut  grove  be- 
fore mentioned.  Passing  down  the  hill  and  to  the  right  is  the 
wooded  crest  above  the  "Tory  Hole." 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  cave  was  used  by  both 
Indians  and  whites,  as  it  is  well  adapted  for  a  place  of  refuge. 

-;:•  *  *  *  * 

The  story  of  Shem  Kemfield  and  his  treacherous  career, 
while  familiar  to  some,  seems  of  sufficient  interest  to  bear 
repeating. 

Previous  to  1781  a  desperate  character  and  a  Tory  (Shem 
Kemfield)  lived  in  town  and,  because  of  his  many  unlawful 
deeds,  was  warned  to  leave  and  move  to  Canada.  He  went, 
vowing  revenge  on  the  inhabitants.  In  the  month  of  March, 
1781,  he  returned  with  comrades  and  took  up  his  abode  in  the 
old  Tory  cave.  One  morning,  the  last  of  the  month,  the  fol- 
lowing incident  occurred: 

149 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


He,  with  three  companions,  in  crossing  the  Eureka  road 
near  the  north  line  of  the  town  was  overtaken  by  Dr.  Downer 
of  Weathersfield,  returning  from  Charlestown,  N.  H.,  where  he 
had  been  to  see  a  patient.  They  made  known  to  the  doctor  their 
business,  told  him  they  were  the  vanguard  of  50  men  who  had 
come  to  destroy  Charlestown  and  Eureka,  and  they  further 
told  him  that  it  was  necessary  to  take  his  life  to  prevent  dis- 
covery. After  much  expostulation  it  was  concluded  to  swear 
him,  Dr.  Downer  declaring  that  should  they  take  his  life  it 
would  be  discovered  before  they  could  escape.  They  demanded 
that  he  should  dismount  and  kneel  before  them,  crossing  him- 
self and  vowing  to  keep  the  whole  affair  a  profound  secret. 

Dr.  Downer  passed  on  to  Lemuel  Whitney's  and  Dr.  Cobb's 
and  appeared  so  singular  that  they  feared  for  his  mental  con- 
dition. After  much  hesitation  he  revealed  the  whole  story  to 
Mr.  Whitney  and,  at  the  end  of  some  deliberation,  the  latter 
sent  forth  the  report  that  he  (Mr.  Whitney)  had  discovered 
Tories  upon  the  hill  east  of  his  house.  A  messenger  was  sent 
down  to  the  river  bank  opposite  Charlestown  to  signal  them. 
A  warning  was  written  on  paper,  which  was  attached  to  a 
stone  and  thrown  across.  A  party  of  armed  men  soon  collected 
and  started  pursuit  upon  the  tracks  of  Kemfield  and  his  band. 
During  the  night  the  inhabitants  were  everywhere  on  the  alert. 
The  next  day  three  of  the  invaders  were  captured  on  Skitche- 
waug  mountain,  near  Tory  hole,  and  three  others  were  taken 
in  Charlestown,  among  them  Kemfield.  the  leader,  who  was 
sent  to  West  Point,  tried  and  executed.  Before  his  execution  he 
spent  much  time  trying  to  figure  out  who  had  discovered  his 
plans,  but  at  last  he  decided  that  it  must  have  been  Dr.  Downer, 
and  he  longed  for  an  opportunity  of  revenge. 


150 


CHAPTER    XIV 


Early  Inventors  of  Springfield 

John  Davidson 

Vibrating  Shear  for  Shearing  Cloth,  Revolving 
Blades  for  the  same  purpose. 

Amasa  Woolson 

Shearing  Machine,  with  list-guard.    ( Eight  patents  I . 

Adna  Brown 

Egg  Holder,  Tricycle,  Flock  Protector  for  Shear, 
Cloth-measuring  Machine,  Cloth-folding  Machine. 
Cloth-steaming  Machine,  Worsted  Polishing  Machine, 
Brushing  Machine  for  Cloth,  Combination  Napper 
and  Gig. 

Frederick  A.  Porter 

Machine   for   making   Card   Clothing.      (  Automatic  ) . 

David  M.  Smith 

Awl  Haft,  Combination  Lock  (non-pickable  I  ;  Iron 
Lathe  Dog  (still  in  common  use)  ;  Blanket  Hook  and 
Eye  (used  in  army)  ;  Corn  Planter,  Broom  Holder, 
Spring  Match  Box,  Adding  Machine,  Breech-loading 
Firearm,  Jointed  Rule. 

Miles  Smith 

Improvements  in  Scythe  Snaths. 

Joel  A.  H.  Ellis 

Steam  Excavator  ( or  steam  shovel ) ,  Farm  Basket, 
Child's  Cab  or  Carriage,  Toy  Carts,  Doll  Carriages, 
Jointed  Dolls,  Principle  of  Utilizing  Exhaust  Steam 
Applied  to  Bisulphate  of  Carbon  for  Motive  Power 
(1870). 

151 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


Luke  W .  Taylor 
Mop. 

Jonathan  Woodbury 

Sweep  Horse-power  Machine. 

L.  T.  Guernsey 

Improvement  in  Printing  Press. 

Moses  H.  Grinnell 

Improved  Marble  Polishing  Process. 

Dr.  Eleazer  Crain 

Abdominal  Supporter. 

A.  J '.  Fullam 

Stencil  Dies  and  Machinery  for  Making  Same,  Sheep 
Shearing  Machine.  (Later  this  developed  into  a  Horse 
Clipper ) . 

B.  B.  Choate 

Mop  Wringer. 

G.  A.  Watkins 

Process  for  Weaving  Cane  into  Webbing  for  Chair 
Seats. 

A sah el  Burr.  Joseph  Smith.   Isaac  B.  Smith 

Various  Improvements  in  the  Manufacture  of  Har- 
ness Hames. 

Rev.  Pinckney  Frost 

Improvement  in  Scythe  Snath. 

\  oafi  Safford 

Hay  and  Straw  Cutter. 

Jesse  Warren 

The  "Warren"  Plow. 

Herbert  M.  Warren 

Improved  Gravel   Roofing  (Warren's  Roofing  I. 

/• .  B.  Gil  man 

Improvements  in  Lathes. 


152 


Early    Inventors    of    Springfield 


Alvin  Mason 

Machine  for  Making  Hooks  and  Eyes. 

W.  L.  Bryant 

Bryant  Chucking  Grinder. 

Parks  &  Woolson  Machine  Co. 

Cloth  Measuring  Machine,  Stretch  Rolls,  Shears, 
Trade-marking  Cloth. 

Gilman  &  Son 

Lathes  for  the  following  uses:  Shoe  Lasts,  Boot 
Trees,  Hat  Blocks,  Artificial  Limbs,  Improvement  in 
Abrasive  Metal  Cutters. 

F.  S.  W eatherhead 

Harness  Check  Hook. 

The  Fellows  Gear  Shaper  Co. 

Apparatus  for  Turning  Irregular  Shapes,  Cutters  and 
Cutter  Heads  for  Gear  Shaping  Machines,  Gear 
Shaping  Machines,  Gear  Generating  Machines,  Rack 
Generating  Machines,  Gear  Generating  Cutters, 
Machines  for  Grinding  Gear  Generating  Cutters, 
Turret  Gear  Cutters,  Rotary  Hack  Saw,  Machine  for 
Cutting  Crown  Gears;  Planing  or  Shaping  Machines 
for  Cutting  Toothed  Wheels,  Sprocket  Wheels  and 
other  articles. 

James  Hartness  (partial  list  of  patents) 

Original  Flat  Turret  Lathe,  Original  Automatic  Die: 
Automatic  Die,  Lead  Controlling;  Tandem  Die, 
Rotating  Automatic  Die,  Roller  Feed,  First  Auto- 
matic Hydraulic  Chucking  Lathe,  Pneumatic  Auto- 
matic Convertible  Bar  Work  Lathe,  Automatic  Chuck, 
Automatic  Turret  Lathe,  All-geared  Turret  Lathe. 
Cross-feeding  Head,  Lo-swing  Lathe,  Safety  Razor, 
Turret  Telescope,  Double-spindle  Lathe. 


153 


CHAPTER    XV 


Thumb  Nail  History 

THE  object  of  this  chapter  is  briefly  to  call  the  attention 
of  the  reader  to  a  few  of  the  more  important  facts  con- 
nected with  the  early  days  of  our  state  and  township, 
hoping  it  may  prove  a  ready  reference  in  time  of  need. 
*  *  *  #  * 

It  was  not  until  1777  that  the  men  who  were  building  this 
state  found  time  to  hold  a  convention  to  name  it.  On  January 
28th  of  that  year  they  met  in  Westminster  and  gave  it  the  name 
of  New  Connecticut,  but  at  a  later  meeting  held  in  Windsor 
( in  June  of  the  same  year )   it  was  changed  to  Vermont. 

On  July  2nd,  1777,  a  chosen  committee  assembled  in 
Windsor  to  draft  our  constitution  for  state  government.  While 
alarming  news  of  the  British  was  received  and  as  the  very 
elements  seemed  to  conspire  against  these  builders  of  a  state. 
for  a  violent  storm  was  raging  and  voices  were  scarcely  to  be 
heard  as  they  sat  in  a  little  room  in  the  old  Constitution  House 
at  Windsor,  they  held  to  their  task  and  drafted  their  consti- 
tution and  discussed  it,  regardless  of  war  or  elements.  They 
produced  what  has  been  pronounced  by  high  authority  as  the 
best  formulation  of  state  rights  the  world  had  ever  seen  up  to 
that  time. 

Vermont  was  admitted  as  one  of  the  Federal  states  March 
4th,  1791. 

Vermont  is  the  only  state  in  the  Union  requiring  a  free- 
man's oath. 

154 


Thumb    Nail    History 


The  first  history  of  the  state  ever  published,  "National 
and  Civil  History  of  Vermont,"  by  Samuel  Miller,  was  printed 
in  Walpole,  N.  H.,  in  1794  by  Isaac  Thomas  and  Daniel  Car- 
lisle. 

Bismark  once  said,  when  two  official  Vermonters  were 
visiting  him,  that  his  ideal  of  democratic  government  was  the 
state  of  Vermont,  and  to  be  a  citizen  of  that  state  was  honor 
enough  for  any  man. 

Through  the  efforts  of  Nathaniel  Chipman  and  Gen. 
Lewis  Morris,  the  final  struggle  with  congress  to  admit  Ver- 
mont into  the  Union  was  accomplished. 

*  *  *  #  * 

Springfield,  Vermont,  was  the  first  namesake  of  Spring- 
field, Massachusetts. 

*  *  *  *  * 

The  original  charter  of  the  town,  in  1761,  was  granted  to 
Gideon  Lyman  and  61  others.  Of  these  men,  who  were  mostly 
residents  of  Northampton,  Mass.,  Joseph  Little  was  the  only 

one  to  settle  here. 

***** 

The  stone  used  to  hold  the  bronze  tablet  that  marks  the 
site  of  the  old  Block  house  was  originally  the  doorstep  to  the 
first  Methodist  church.  It  continued  to  be  used  through  the 
Wesleyan  seminary  and  high  school  days,  a  period  of  nearly 
100  years  of  constant  service,  before  it  found  its  present  his- 
toric resting  place,  where  it  holds  the  tablet  that  points  the 
passer-by  to  the  beginning  of  the  town. 

***** 

With  all  the  diversity  and  beauty  of  its  S3enery,  the  fer- 
tility of  its  meadows,  the  unlimited  supply  of  fish  in  its  waters 

155 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


and  the  game  on  its  shores,  it  is  not  strange  that  the  Indians, 
who  lived  close  to  nature,  should  have  called  the  Connecticut 
valley  the  "Smile  of  God." 

***** 
When  the  first  Methodist  church  was  built  on  Seminary 
Hill  the  brick  house  at  the  corner  of  Pearl  street,  known  as  the 
"Spindler  house,"  was  the  first  parsonage.  Later,  when  the 
present  edifice  was  built,  the  house  now  occupied  by  Milton 
Slack  became  the  parsonage.   Then  it  was  removed  to  Pleasant 

street. 

***** 

Lord  Amherst  came  across  the  Connecticut  river  in  the 
spring  of  1760,  first  erecting  the  Block  house  to  protect  his 
men  as  they  built  the  old  Crown  Point  road  through  Spring- 
field. 

***** 

In  1771  or  72,  Col.  John  Barrett  bought  the  old  Block 
House  farm,  now  known  as  the  Butterfield  place,  and  that  year 
built  the  first  frame  house  in  town. 

***** 

The  first  school  of  which  we  have  any  account  was  held 
in  the  summer  of  1773  in  Lieut.  Hezekiah  Holmes'  house  on 
the  Dr.  Hubbard  farm  in  Eureka. 

***** 

Springfield  has  the  original  charter  of  the  town  given  by 
Gov.  Benning  Wentworth  of  the  Province  of  New  Hampshire. 
August  20th,  1 761 .  It  has  also  a  New  York  charter,  executed 
by  Tryon,  captain-general  and  governor-in-chief  of  the  Pro- 
vince of  New  York,  and  attested  by  Banyar,  deputy  secretary 
and  deputy  auditor.    This  charter  is  written  on  sheepskin  and 

156 


Thumb    Nail    History 


dated  May  25th,  1772.    The  ink  is  so  little  faded  that  now, 
after  150  years,  it  is  plainly  legible. 

***** 

The  first  Masonic  lodge  in  Vermont  was  located  in  Spring- 
field, receiving  its  charter  from  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Massa- 
chusetts, and  bearing  date  of  November  10th,  1781. 
***** 

In  1781  land  was  valued  at  10  shillings  per  acre.   In  1842 
Springfield  ranked  third  in  size  among  the  towns  in  the  state. 
***** 

The  first  meeting  house  was  built  on  the  Common  in  1789. 
It  was  voted  that  this  should  be  40x50  feet.  It  was  also  "voted 
that  said  committee  erect  said  house,  kiver  the  outside,  bord, 
shingle  and  clabord,  glaze,  lay  the  flowers  and  make  the 
doors,  within  one  year  from  this  day."  The  frame  of  this 
meeting  house  is  standing  today  near  the  office  of  the  Vermont 
Snath  company,  and  the  original  clapboards,  hand-hewn  and 
pegged  together,  can  be  seen  at  the  back  side. 
***** 

In  1790  W.  H.  Wheeler's  store  was  built  and  was  the  first 
frame  building  in  the  village. 

***** 

In  1792,  when  the  first  census  was  taken,  Springfield  had 

1097  inhabitants. 

***** 

The  house  now  owned  by  John  T.  Slack,  and  the  former 
residence  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  T.  Boutelle,  was  built  in  1800  and 
has  been  the  home  of  several  well-known  men  and  women  in 
our  town.  James  Whitney  used  to  tell  that,  when  living  there, 
on  hot  summer  nights  he  went  out  on  the  roof  by  the  chimney 

157 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


at  the  west  end  of  the  house,  and  declared  that  he  never  slept 
so  well.  Mrs.  Franklin  Barney  also  spent  a  portion  of  her 
childhood  days  in  this  old  house.  When  Rev.  Daniel  0.  Mor- 
ton was  pastor  of  the  Congregational  church,  from  1832-36, 
the  house  was  used  as  a  parsonage.  At  this  time  his  son,  the 
late  ex- Vice  Pres.  Levi  P.  Morton,  was  a  small  boy.  It  was 
the  testimony  of  several  demure  maidens  of  that  time  that  he 
was  the  best  boy  to  make  mud  pies  with  they  ever  knew. 

»  *  *  #  *• 

The  first  cotton  cloth  in  the  state  was  made  in  Springfield 
in  1820.  At  a  very  early  date  Isaac  Fisher,  Jr.,  made  cotton 
warp  and  filling,  and  it  was  sent  to  the  State's  prison,  where  it 
was  woven  by  hand  into  cotton  cloth. 

*  *  #  *  * 

The  present  Congregational  church  was  built  in  1834. 

***** 

A  wooden  building  on  the  corner  of  Park  and  Factory 
streets,  where  mill  D  of  the  John  T.  Slack  Corporation  now 
stands,  was  used  by  Horace  Hawkins  to  manufacture  furniture 
as  early  as  1842,  and  in  the  plant  just  below  John  Holmes 
made  lead  pipe  and  pumps. 

***** 

August  1st,  1891,  the  streets  were  lighted  for  the  first 
time  with  electricity. 

***** 

The  first  Methodist  church  became  the  Wesleyan  seminary 
in  1847,  with  70  pupils  from  town  and  80  from  outside.  In 
1849  a  large  boarding  house  was  built  to  accommodate  60  or 
more.  At  one  time  as  many  as  300  pupils  attended  the  school. 
The  last  year  it  was  used  as  a  seminary  was  in  1865.    There 

158 


Thumb    Nail    History 


being  no  bell  on  this  seminary,  the  Congregational  church  bell 
was  rung  morning  and  noon  by  a  student  for  the  opening  of 
the  school. 

*  *  *         *  ♦ 

The  house  that  stood  where  Dr.  Chapman's  house  now 
stands  was  built  about  the  time  of  the  Revolution  by  a  Mr. 
Gregg;  then  it  was  bought  by  William  Belknap,  who  married 
Father  Smiley's  sister.   It  was  burned  in  1900. 

*  *  *  *  * 

Richard  Morris  bought  2650  acres  of  land  from  several 
men  who  were  the  original  grantees,  and  it  was  this  that  in- 
duced his  son,  Lewis  Morris,  to  settle  here  about  1785. 
***** 

The  first  apple  trees  in  town  were  set  out  in  1771  on  the 
old  Cortez  Miller  place. 

***** 

Calvin  Hubbard,  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Joseph  White,  came 
to  Springfield  about  1782  and  was  the  first  man  to  purchase  a 
wagon.  It  was  without  springs  but  of  such  grandeur  that  his 
family  rode  to  church  in  it  from  the  old  Hubbard  place  in 
Eureka.  His  relatives  and  friends  considered  the  vehicle  a 
shocking  piece  of  extravagance  and,  if  Calvin  Hubbard  was 
going  to  spend  his  good  money  in  such  a  reckless  manner,  they 
openly  announced  that  he  should  have  a  guardian. 

*  *  #  *  # 

Notice  on  page  120  sketch  of  the  fine  old  house  built  by 
Ezekiel  Whitcomb  and  his  brother-in-law,  Joshua  Davis,  about 
1828.  It  stood  on  the  site  of  Walter  W.  Slack's  present  home, 
and  on  the  piazza  hung  the  bell  Mrs.  Whitcomb  used  in 
calling  the  men  to  dinner.   It  was  a  double  house,  occupied  by 

159 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


the  two  families.    When  Mr.   Davis  moved  from  town,  Sam 
Chipman's  father  and  mother  took  his  part  of  the  house. 

***** 

The  total  receipts  of  the  postoffice,  with  Samuel  W. 
Porter  as  postmaster,  records  now  being  in  the  possession  of 
Mrs.  Anna  (Porter)  Marsh,  from  Nov.  24th,  1818,  to  July  1st, 
1828,  nine  years  and  seven  months,  were  $1305.07.  The 
average  annual  receipts  were  $137.  Total  receipts  from  July 
1st,  1828,  to  July  1st,  1834,  six  years,  were  $1670.97,  with 
annual  receipts  of  $278. 

***** 

In  1852  steamboats  were  used  on  the  Connecticut  river 
from  Hartford,  Conn.,  to  Wells  River,  Vt.,  by  means  of  locks 

at  Bellows  Falls. 

***** 

April  20th,  1780,  ten  gentlemen  mounted  their  horses  and 
rode  from  Charlestown  up  the  Connecticut  river  two  miles  on 
the  ice  to  Wentworth's  ferry  and  back  again.  This  was  done 
that  the  memory  of  their  exploit  and  the  lateness  of  the  season 
that  year  be  preserved  for  future  generations. 
***** 

The  first  doll  carriages  were  made  in  Springfield  in  1880. 
The  first  slat  farm  baskets  were  made  in  Springfield  also. 
***** 

On  the  site  of  Charles  Johnson's  present  home  on  Sum- 
mer street  there  stood  a  small  one-story  house,  plastered  on 
the  outside.  It  was  built  by  Moses  Chase  and  occupied  by 
Joshua  Davis.  With  the  Davis  family  lived  a  young  man, 
Thomas  Brown,  who  assisted  in  the  tannery,  which  Mr.  Davis 
owned  farther  up  the  brook.    It  contained  two  or  three  vats. 

160 


Thumb    Nail    History 


which  were  set  in  the  ground,  and  each  held  a  couple  of  hogs- 
heads. At  the  rear  of  the  house  was  a  mill  for  grinding  the 
huge  piles  of  bark  used  in  tanning  the  leather.  The  hides  were 
put  in  the  vats  and  often  remained  a  year.  Work  was  discon- 
tinued here  some  time  in  the  '40's. 

*  •  *  *  * 

Capt.  Simon  Stevens  and  Abner  Bisbee  were  the  closest  of 
friends  and  were  in  the  Revolutionary  war  together.  They 
settled  in  Springfield  about  1763 — Captain  Stevens  on  what 
is  now  the  Town  farm  and  Abner  Bisbee  near,  with  Samuel 
Scott  settling  between  them.  The  latter's  wife,  formerly  a 
Widow  Taylor,  had  one  daughter,  Isabella  Taylor,  of  mar- 
riageable age.  The  two  soldiers  both  sought  to  capture  the 
prize.  She  was  willing  to  take  either  but  could  not  marry  both. 
For  a  while  it  looked  as  if  the  friendship  of  many  years  would 
be  severed.  Just  at  this  time,  however,  another  settler,  George 
Hall,  appeared  with  his  wife  and  daughter,  and  the  problem 
was  solved.  Bisbee  took  Mary  Hall  behind  him  on  his  horse, 
while  Isabella  Taylor  rode  pillion  fashion  behind  Captain 
Stevens,  and  both  couples  went  to  Charlestown  and  were 
married  in  1767. 

Capt.  Simon  Stevens  was  the  first  constable  in  town  and 
issued  the  call  for  the  first  town  meeting,  the  record  of  which 
is  as  follows: — 

"Province  of  New  Hampshire:  To  Simon  Stevens,  con- 
stable of  Springfield  and  province  aforesaid,    Greeting: 

"In  His  Majesties  Name  you  are  hereby  Required  forth- 
with to  Notifie  and  warn  ye  Freeholders  &  Other  Inhabitants 
of  sd  Town  that  are  Duely  qualified  by  Law  to  Vote  in  Town 
Meetings  that  they   assemble   &   meet  at  ye   House   of  Joseph 

161 


Folklore    of   Springfield 


Little  in  Springfield  aforesd,  on  Tuesday  ye  13th  of  this 
Instant  at  10  of  ye  Clock  in  ye  forenoon,  then  and  there,  when 
met,  to  vote  and  act  on  ye  following  articles,  viz: — 

"First  to  Choose  a  Moderator  to  Govern  sd  Meeting. 
"2ndly  to  Choose  Town  Officers  Agreeable  to  Charter. 
"Hereof  Fail  not  &  make  Due  Return  of  this  warrant  and 
your  Doings  therein  to  some  one  of  us  ye  subscribers  at  or 
before  ye  Time  of  sd  Meeting. 

"Given  under  our  Hands  and  seal  this  first  Day  of  March 
and  in  ye  fourth  year  of  His  Majesties  Reign  1764. 

Robert  Parker 
Samuel  Scott 
Simon  Stevens 
George  Hall 
Timothy  Spencer 
Taylor  Spencer 
Abner  Bisbee 
"March  ye  13  I,  having  Read  the  warrant  in  said  meeting, 
hereby  make  a  Return  as  the  Law  Requires. 

"By  Simon  Stevens,  Constable." 
#  #  »  *  * 

Extracts  from  James  Whitney's  dairy: — 

"March  29,  1856.  There  was  a  meeting  held  of  the  town 
to  see  if  there  was  interest  enough  to  get  up  a  fair. 

"Was  invited  June  14,  1856,  to  the  raising  of  Father 
Arms'  large  barn.  The  day  was  fair.  Everything  went  to- 
gether nicely  and  no  accident  happened.  There  were  60  hands 
present.    We  put  up  the  frame  of  the  body  part. 

"August  19,  1856.  Finished  shingling  Mr.  Arms'  barn 
today.  It  is  a  great  shell.  There  ought  to  be  a  steeple  and  bell 
on  it. 

162 


Thumb    Nail    History 


"June  27,  1857.  The  boys  are  trying  out  their  new  cannon 
on  the  Common  tonight.  It  weighs  500  pounds  and  is  two  and 
a  half  inches  across." 

The  following  is  a  unique  description  by  Mr.  Whitney  of 
the  4th  of  July  celebration  in  1859: — 

"The  citizens  of  Springfield  gathered  for  the  purpose  of 
celebrating  this  day.  A  table  was  set  in  the  grove  near  Noah 
Safford's  (where  the  lower  J.  &  L.  shop  now  stands)  for  the 
refreshments  of  all  who  might  be  there.  Joseph  Colburn  was 
president  of  the  day,  Charles  Forbush  marshal.  The  proces- 
sion, headed  by  the  cornet  band,  marched  to  Noah's  woods. 
As  many  as  could  be  were  seated,  the  rest  remained  standing. 
Some  display  of  talent  by  James  Whitney,  Noah  Safford,  Jesse 
Steadman  and  others." 

***** 

James  Whitney  told  the  writer  the  exact  center  of  the  town 
was  at  the  top  of  the  hill  on  South  street  where  Clarence  Pratt's 
house  now  stands;  for  Mr.  Whitney's  father-in-law,  Bartlett 
Damon,  surveyed  it. 

***** 

The  brick  in  the  house  where  Dr.  H.   H.  Lawrence  now 
lives  were  made  on  the  old  Barnard  farm  in  Eureka. 
***** 

The  land  where  the  old  Daniel  Field  blacksmith  shop 
stood  was  sold  by  him  to  his  son.  Arthur,  Aug.  16,  1824,  and 
the  shop  remained  for  many  years  as  a  landmark.  The  young 
man  learned  the  blacksmith  trade  of  his  father  and  followed 
it  for  some  time,  but  finally  discontinued  horse-shoeing  to 
make  hammers,  hoes,  forks  and  other  farming  tools.  The 
tradition  in  the  family  has  been  that  his  success  in  building 

163 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


his  specialty  of  hoes  was  due  to  the  peculiar  hang  of  the  hoe 
to  the  handle,  which  enabled  the  farmer  to  accomplish  more 
work.  The  high  grade  of  material  used,  also,  gave  a  much 
longer  life  to  the  hoe  than  had  the  average  tool  of  that  kind. 

Intensely  interesting  is  the  old  account  book  of  Arthur 
Field,  containing  many  things  beside  sales  of  hoes  and  ham- 
mers. In  1813  we  find  "shoeing  horse,  20c";  in  1819,  "1  gal. 
soap,  22c;  15!/^  lbs.  veal,  50c."  In  1845  the  sale  of  hoes  for 
the  year  was  $306  at  Si  per  hoe.  In  1846  the  sale  of  pitchforks 
for  the  year  was  $11  at  $1  per  fork.  March  1st,  1847,  "making 
2  pair  door  hinges,  67c."  March  12,  "mending  kettle  with 
copper  rivits,  25c;  shoeing  oxen,  $1.50." 

***** 

Spencer  Hollow  received  its  familiar  name  from  three 
brothers,  Timothy,  Taylor  and  Simeon  Spencer,  who  settled 
here  at  a  very  early  date. 

Timothy  and  Taylor  Spencer  were  two  of  the  seven  in- 
habitants of  Springfield  who  signed  the  first  call  for  a  town 
meeting  in  March,  1764,  and  Simeon  Spencer  was  elected  one 
of  the  town  officers  at  the  first  town  meeting  of  which  there  is 
any  complete  record;  this  was  in  April  1769. 

Timothy  Spencer  settled  on  the  Crown  Point  road,  not 
far  from  the  Henry  Arms  place,  and  Taylor  Spencer  nearby. 

Simeon  Spencer  lived  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  Dwight 
Chase.  He  had  many  children  and  Jonas,  one  of  his  sons,  built 
on  and  owned  the  farm  known  to  us  as  the  Harvey  Slade  place, 
a  picture  of  which  can  be  seen  on  page  1. 

***** 

In  these  early  days  there  came  a  minister  by  the  name  of 
Babcock,  who  was  somewhat  of  a  revival  preacher,  and  back 

164 


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of  this  old  Spencer  house  he  dammed  the  brook  and  used  it  to 
immerse  the  converts.  Afterwards  there  was  a  sawmill  erected 
on  this  same  spot.  He  also  dammed  the  brook  near  the  home 
of  Dwight  Chase  and  owned  at  that  time  by  Simeon  Spencer. 
In  the  pasture  near  this  brook  are  three  little  mounds,  un- 
marked and  set  by  stones  from  the  wall  nearby.  Here  were 
buried  the  three  infant  sons  of  Mr.  Babcock. 

#  *  *  *  * 

In  the  large  rock  between  the  old  Daniel  Field  place 
(where  Mrs.  E.  C.  Beers  now  lives)  and  the  bridge  can  be 
found  the  following  date: — "3  mo.  25  d.  1826,"  which  was  the 
high  watermark  up  to  that  time.  The  oldest  inhabitants  have 
never  known  it  to  reach  this  height,  but  in  the  June  cloud- 
burst, 1922,  the  water  rose  to  within  five  inches  of  the  1826 

mark. 

•  *  *  •  * 

According  to  L.  S.  Hayes,  the  last  and  most  noted  battle 
with  the  Indians  in  this  vicinity  was  fought  across  the  Con- 
necticut river  from  Bellows  Falls  in  the  town  of  Walpole,  N. 
H.,  near  the  south  end  of  Mt.  Kilburn,  Aug.  17,  1755.  On  that 
day  197  savages  surrounded  the  cabin  of  John  Kilburn,  the 
first  white  settler  in  Walpole,  who,  with  his  family  and  two 
other  men,  defended  the  cabin  all  day.  Only  one  white  man 
was  wounded,  and  he  soon  died.  The  Indians  disappeared  and 
never  returned  again  to  this  vicinity  until  after  the  French  and 
Indian  war,  when  they  came  on  a  more  peaceful  errand.  The 
spot  where  the  cabin  stood  was  marked  a  few  years  ago  by  the 
Walpole  chapter  of  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution 
with  a  suitable  bronze  tablet,  standing  by  the  side  of  the  road 

165 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


leading  to  Walpole,  a  short  distance  south  of  the  Cold  River 

bridge. 

***** 

^,  The. -older  inhabitants  will  ; remember  Isaac  Wiswell,  but 
few  may  know  of  his  sundial.  For  many  years  the  iron  stand- 
ard was  fastened  to  a  rock  just  where  the  water  to  run  the  cab 
shop  poured  from  the  raceway  up  into  the  shop,  and  the  sun- 
dial was  placed  on  it.  For  many  years  Isaac  Wiswell  cared 
for  the  clock  in  the  Methodist  church,  and  as  there  was  no  way 
in  those  days  of  getting  the  time  from  Washington,  he  set  the 
town  clock  from  that  sundial,  watching  each  day  very  carefully 
for  the  noon  mark  that  the  clock  might  always  be  exact.  The 
dial  was  burned  with  the  shop  in  1878. 

***** 

Capt.  Abner  Bisbee  and  Capt.  Simon  Stevens  were  among 
the  first  to  go  out  on  scout  duty  in  the  Revolution,  and  Col. 
John  Barrett  formed  a  company  and  went  from  here.  Stevens 
and  Bisbee  saw  nearly  the  whole  period  of  the  war. 

***** 

Previous  to  1825,  Litchfield's  hill  (now  known  as  Hill- 
crest)  was  used  for  a  general  training  ground.  Here  they 
pitched  their  tents  and  trained  for  several  days  at  a  time. 

***** 

We  are  indebted  to  George  G.  Barnard  for  building  the 
road  from  Valley  street  to  Eureka. 

***** 

The  following  account  is  taken  from  Ernest  W.  Butter- 
field's  centennial  address  in  Weathersfield: — 

"Through  Weathersfield  in  the  depth  of  the  winter  snows 
came  the  50  cannon  taken  from  the  fort  at  Ticonderoga  and 
rushed    to    Boston    to    aid    Washington    in    forcing    Howe    to 

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evacuate  the  city.  They  were  drawn  by  oxen  on  stout  sleds  and 
the  oxen  were  then  slain  and  eaten  by  Washington  and  his 
soldiers.  There  are  still  living  those  who  in  their  youth  heard 
aged  eyewitnesses  tell  of  this  procession  of  cannon  and  steam- 
ing oxen." 

In  going  over  this,  the  Crown  Point  road  in  Weathersfield, 
they  passed  through  the  Crown  Point  road  in  Springfield  to 

Charlestown. 

#  *  #  #  # 

Hiram  Moore  Smith  was  born  in  Springfield  in  1809.  He 
learned  the  machinist's  trade  of  his  uncle,  Noah  Safford.  He 
also  learned  the  carpenter's  trade  and  helped  build  the  Con- 
gregational church  in  Chester.  He  later  went  to  Richmond, 
Va.,  where  he  made  fuses  for  the  shells  that  were  fired  at  Fort 

Sumter. 

***** 

Samuel  Herrick,  a  carpenter,  was  the  first  man  in  Spring- 
field to  use  rollers  to  move  a  building. 

***** 

Notice  should  be  given  of  Charles  Brooks  Hoard  and  his 
inventions.  He  was  born  in  Springfield,  June  28th,  1805, 
christened  by  Father  Smiley,  and  his  early  life  was  spent 
among  our  green  hills.  Sometime  in  the  '20's  he  went  with  his 
father  to  Antwerp,  N.  Y.  He  was  clerk  in  the  land  office  of 
George  Parish,  afterward  serving  an  apprenticeship  as  a 
silversmith  and  watchmaker.  While  following  this  trade  he 
conceived  the  idea  of  making  a  portable  steam  engine,  com- 
pact and  simple,  and  within  the  reach  of  all  where  moderate 
power  was  required.  One  of  its  first  uses  was  in  running  a 
printing  press.  This  attracted  the  attention  of  Horace  Greeley, 
and  in  a  letter  to  the  New  York  Tribune  he  called  the  atten- 

167 


Folklore    of   Springfield 


tion  of  people  in  all  parts  of  the  country  to  the  new  power, 
which  was  soon  in  general  use.  In  1856  Mr.  Hoard  was  elected 
to  congress  from  the  23rd  district  in  New  York  and  again  in 
1858.  In  1862  he  took  a  contract  from  the  government  to 
manufacture  50,000  stands  of  arms,  having  previously  moved 
his  shops  to  Watertown,  N.  Y.  In  1869  he  moved  to  Ceredo, 
W.  Va.,  where  he  died  in  1886. 

»  #  *  #  » 

The  following  story  is  told  of  Lucy  Perkins,  wife  of  Otis 
Litchfield  and  a  woman  of  sterling  ability  and  character.  Their 
home  was  a  model  of  neatness  and  good  order,  and  a  place 
where  a  cordial  welcome  always  seasoned  the  bounty  of  their 
well-supplied  table. 

"Before  the  days  of  cheese  factories,  the  Windsor  County 
Agricultural  society  offered  a  premium  of  $10  for  the  best 
six  cheeses  made  by  any  one  family  in  the  county.  Mr.  Litch- 
field, well  knowing  that  his  wife's  cheese  was  unsurpassed, 
selected  six  and  carried  them  to  the  fair.  The  committee  began 
testing  the  different  entries  in  that  department  by  boring  in  the 
usual  way  and,  after  sampling,  replaced  the  part  taken  out  so 
the  cheese  would  look  as  before.  When  they  reached  Mr. 
Litchfield's  they  found  him  waiting  with  a  long-bladed  knife 
and,  asking  the  committee  to  select  a  fair  sample,  he  cut  it  in 
quarters,  saying  'This  is  the  way  to  sample  cheese,'  and  then 
distributed  generous  slices  to  those  standing  by  as  well  as  to 
each  of  the  committee,  not  forgetting  to  eat  a  large  slice  him- 
self. All  were  unanimous  in  the  verdict  that  it  was  'A  No.  1' 
and  the  premium  was  taken  in  triumph  by  Mr.  Litchfield." 


168 


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The  following  incidents  in  regard  to  the  old  Block  house 
and  the  Crown  Point  road  may  prove  of  more  than  passing 
interest: — 

General  Amherst  to  Governor  Wentworth,  1759 

Camp  at  Crown  Point,  13th  August,  1759. 

Sir:  Since  I  have  been  in  possession  of  this  Ground  One 
of  my  particular  Attentions  has  been  to  Improve  the  Advan- 
tages it  gives  me  of  most  Effectually  Covering  and  Securing  this 
Country  &  Opening  Such  Communications  as  will  Render 
the  Access  between  the  provinces  &  the  Army  easy,  Safe  & 
Short.  Accordingly  I  sent  to  explore  the  Otter  River,  in  order 
to  Erect  such  Posts  on  Each  Side  of  it  as  will  Obstruct  all 
scalping  parties  from  going  up  that  River  to  Annoy  any  of  his 
Majesty's  Subjects  that  may  now  Chuse  to  Come  &  Settle 
between  No.  4  &  that;  but  I  Cannot  say  that  that  River  by  any 
means  Answers  the  Idea  I  had  Conceived  of  it  from  descrip- 
tion and  Report.  Wherefore  I  shall  defer  the  work  I  Intended, 
until  I  have  had  the  Whole  Survey'd,  which  I  have  order 'd  to 
be  done. 

Meanwhile  I  am  to  Inform  you,  as  I  do  by  this  Convey- 
ance the  Govr.  of  the  Massachusetts  Bay,  that  When  these  Posts 
are  Established  upon  Otter  River  I  shall  Expect  that  Each  of 
your  provinces,  instead  of  Garrisoning  No.  4,  Fort  Dummer, 
Canoe  Meadow,  Great  Meadow,  &c,  with  two  Companies  of 
100  men  each,  &  Officers  in  proportion,  You  do  each  of  you 
Send  a  Like  Company  of  100  men  &  Officers  in  proportion  to 
the  Posts  upon  Otter  River,  where,  by  their  being  thus  Col- 
lected, they  will  be  of  Infinite  greater  security  to  the  Whole 
Countrv  than  by  being  dispersed  as  they  were  at  the  Above 

169 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


mentioned  Places,  which,  from  my  being  here,  are  Already 
Out  of  all  kind  of  Danger,  &  therefore  I  have  ordered  those 
Companies  to  Joyn  their  Respective  Regiments. 

And  for  the  Easier  Communication  of  Your  two  provinces 
with  this  Post,  I  have  Already  for  these  Some  Days  past  had  a 
Number  of  men  in  the  Woods,  that  Are  Employed  in  Cutting 
a  Road  between  this  and  No.  4,  which  will  be  finished  before 
You  Receive  this;  to  Compleat  it  quite  up  to  Pennycook,  which 
must  be  still  of  Greater  Advantage  to  Your  Province,  Whom  I 
doubt  not  but  will  Very  Gladly  Improve  so  favourable  & 
promising  an  Opportunity,  the  Rangers,  Who  Are  busy  on 
the  Road  to  No.  4,  are  Ordered  to  Mark  the  Trees  In  the 
proper  direction,  So  that  your  people  will  have  only  to  Cut 
them,  to  make  the  Communication  open  between  Pennycook 
&  No.  4,  Which  I  would  have  You  to  Recommend  to  them  to 
Set  about  without  delay.  I  am,  With  great  Regard  Sir, 
Your  most  Obedt.  hble  Servt. 

Jeff.  Amherst 

P.  S. — Enclosed   I  Send  you  a  Copy  of  the  Cartel   Con- 
cluded between  us  &  France,  which  I  Received  Yesterday  from 

the  War  Office. 

J.  A. 

Petition  of  Joseph  Swett 
To  his  Excellence  the  Govener  Benning  Wintworth,  Esqr., 
Captain-Genereal  and  Commander-in-Cheaf  in  and  over  His 
Majesty's  Province  of  New  Hampshir  in  New  England  and  to 
His  Majesty's  Honorable  Council  and  General  Assembly  Con- 
vend  at  Portsmouth  your  Potisinor  Humbly  sheweth  that  he 
was  in  his  Majesty's  Serves  at  Crown  Point,  the  last  year's 
Campain  in  Cornel  John  Gouff,  Esqr.,  Rigement  and  Carried 

170 


Thumb    Nail    History 


with  me  a  horse  and  Left  him  at  the  Block  house  at  Wintworth 
ferry,  so  Called,  and  that  on  the  fall  Major  Samuel  Gerrish  was 
ordered  from  Crown  Point  with  inveleads  from  Every  Rigement 
of  Provincials  for  the  Block  house  and  when  Major  Gerrish  ar- 
rived at  the  Block  house  there  was  many  men  left  in  the  Woods 
unable  to  travil,  among  them  was  left  Jeremiah  Davis  of 
Captain  Jacob  Tilton's  Company,  for  which  Major  Gerrish 
ordred  Ensign  Berry  to  Send  a  Horse  for  Said  Davis  and  he 
Did  Send  mine  and  She  was  lost  in  that  Serves  which  Will  ap- 
pear by  Timothy  Blacke  Dipposion. 

I  Humbly  pray  that  your  Honours  will  take  this  under 
your  wise  Consideration  and  Do  as  in  your  Grate  Wisdom 
Shall  think  Proper  and  I  as  in  Duty  Bound  Shall  Ever  Pray. 

Joseph  Swett 

Deposition  of  Timothy  Blake,  Jr. 
Timothy  Blake,  jnr.,  of  Hampton  Falls  of  Lawfull  Age 
Testifies  and  Says  that  he,  this  Deponent,  being  a  Soldier  in 
the  service  of  this  Province  the  last  fall  About  the  beginning  of 
Octobr  According  to  the  best  of  his  Remembrance  he  was  at 
Wentworth's  ferry,  so  Called,  on  Connecticut  river,  And  En- 
sign Joseph  Swett  had  a  horse  there  under  the  Care  of  Ensign 
Berry,  And  this  Deponent  well  Knows  that  Majr.  Saml  Gerrish 
borrow'd  said  Horse  of  said  Ensign  Berry  in  Order  to  go  and 
Bring  one  Jeremiah  Davis  belonging  to  Capt.  Tilton's  Com- 
pany, who  was  unable  to  travail  Down  to  Connecticut  River: 
and  said  Horse  was  Sent  for  to  bring  said  Davis  But  the  Horse 
was  lost  in  that  business  And  Could  not  be  found  while  this 
Deponent  tarried  there  or  since  that  he  has  heard  of  But  was 
looked  upon  by  all  that  were  there  to  be  wholly  lost. 

Timothy  Blake,  Jr. 
171 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


Province  of  New  Hampse,  May  26,  1761,  Then  Timothv 
Blake,  Jr.,  made  Solemn  Oath  to  the  truth  of  the  Above 
Deposition  by  him  subscribed  Before  Meschech  Weare,  Jusc. 
of  Pea. 

In  the  year  of  1770  Daniel  Gill,  who  was  a  carpenter  and 
wheelwright,  with  his  wife  Mercy  (Whitford)  Gill  came  to 
Springfield  from  Exeter,  R.  I.,  and  built  a  log  cabin  on  the 
hillside  beyond  what  is  known  to  us  as  the  Gill  homestead. 
Here  they  lived  for  many  years  and  reared  their  children. 

At  a  proprietors'  meeting  held  in  1763  it  was  voted  to 
give  any  person  starting  a  sawmill  a  grant  of  20  acres  of  land 
and  they  would  furnish  a  set  of  irons  for  the  mill,  on  condition 
that  said  mill  should  be  kept  in  good  repair  for  15  years. 
This  right  had  been  secured  by  Simon  Stevens  and  Page  Harri- 
man,  and  they  on  date  of  Feb.  8,  1771,  transferred  it  by  deed 
to  Daniel  Gill,  the  tract  in  question  being  located  at  Lower 
Falls  on  the  Black  river,  on  the  site  of  what  is  now  Goulds 
Mills.  Mr.  Gill  proceeded  to  blast  the  rock  on  his  property  and 
prepared  to  build  his  mill,  expending  considerable  time  and 
money.  Richard  Morris  claimed  the  tract  by  title  from  the 
Province  of  New  York  and,  though  Mr.  Morris  afterward 
tried  to  right  the  difficulty  and  made  overtures  to  Mr.  Gill,  the 
project  was  abandoned.  Mr.  Gill  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
legislature  in  1784  and  again  in  1792.  While  attending  the 
latter  session  at  Rutland,  Vt.,  he  received  a  petition  signed  by 
195  persons  from  Springfield  and  vicinity,  bearing  date  of 
Oct.  19,  1792.  appointing  him  and  Gapt.  Abner  Bisbee  agents 
to  select  homesteads  for  them  in  Upper  Canada,  on  acceptance 
of   a    proclamation    issued    by    the   governor    of  that   province. 

172 


Thumb    Nail    History 


Returning  from  this  mission  he  was  taken  sick  at  Sing  Sing, 
N.  Y.,  and  died  Dec.  7,  1793. 

Soon  after  his  death  Mercy  (Whitford)  Gill  was  con- 
fronted with  a  disputed  title  of  her  land  and  told  she  must 
abandon  it,  but  with  her  strong  resolution  she  refused  to  be 
ejected  and  she  lived  peacefully  on  in  her  log  cabin.  In  1789 
her  son,  Whitford  Gill,  built  the  old  Gill  homestead  for  a 
tavern,  and  in  the  chimney  is  a  stone  slab  bearing  date  of 
building.  This  old  tavern  became  very  famous,  as  it  was  on 
the  direct  stage  road  from  Quebec  to  Boston,  and  the  oldest 
inhabitants  remember  the  long  sheds  where  the  stages  were 
sheltered  and  where  they  stopped  to  exchange  horses  on  the 

journey. 

***** 

Viewed  from  almost  any  angle,  the  peaks  and  hills  of 
Springfield  as  they  stand  out  against  the  horizon  attract  the 
attention  of  both  the  passing  tourist  and  those  living  among 
them.  Many  times  the  question  has  been  asked:  Which  is  the 
higher,  Camp  Hill  or  Mt.  Ephraim?  Inquiries  are  also  made 
in  regard  to  the  nearest  way  to  reach  them. 

We  are  indebted  to  C.  F.  Grosvenor  for  ascertaining  the 
fact  that  the  Adnabrown  hotel  is  425  feet  above  sea  level. 
Taking  that  as  a  base,  0.  S.  Marshall  finds  that  Camp  Hill  rises 
to  a  height  of  1538  feet  above  sea  level.  This  eminence  is  sit- 
uated in  a  long  ridge  in  the  east  part  of  the  town  and  derives 
its  name  from  the  fact  that  General  Hawks  and  his  troops 
camped  on  or  near  it  while  building  the  Crown  Point  road. 

Mt.  Ephraim,  in  the  Dutton  district  in  the  southern  part 
of  the  town,  is  1427  feet  above  sea  level.  It  once  belonged  to 
Ephraim  Walker,    one  of   Springfield's  earliest   farmers,   and 

173 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


the  ancient  home  site  can  still  be  readily  identified  by  a  lux- 
uriant growth  of  wild  roses,  which  are  a  sight  to  delight  any 
lover  of  this  old-fashioned  flower  who  may  pass  that  way  in 
June.  Barring  Ascutney  mountain,  the  highest  pinnacle  of 
Ephraim  offers  one  of  the  richest  panoramic  views  to  be  seen 
in  this  part  of  the  state.  From  it  Killington  peak  with  nearby 
cluster  of  hills  is  on  exhibition  almost  any  day;  while  under 
a  clear  sky  the  White  mountains  90  miles  away  are  visible  to  an 
unaided  eye. 

Monument  Hill  in  the  west  towers  1316  feet,  and  Mt. 
Ararat,  on  the  farm  of  W.  D.  Whitcomb,  has  a  height  of  1226 
feet. 

To  the  lover  of  the  hills  these  few  facts  will  serve  to 
prove  that  the  lofty  peaks  of  Springfield  are  beautiful  at  any 
season  of  the  year  whether  they  are  clothed  in  summer  verdure, 
the  brilliant  tints  of  autumn  or  the  dazzling  snows  of  winter. 


174 


VERMONT  STATE  FLAG 


"Let  no  shame  bedim  the  starshine  on  its 

field  of  heavenly  blue, 
For    it's    OUR    FLAG,    friend,    it's    OUR 

FLAG;  I'm  proud  of  it— are  YOU?" 


CHAPTER    XVI 


Our  State  and  Governor's  Flags 

THIS  chapter  with  the  accompanying  illustrations  is  intend- 
ed to  bring  to  the  reader's  notice  our  state  and  governor's 
flags,  hoping  it  may  awaken  so  much  interest  that  at  no 
distant  day  our  town  shall  own  a  state  flag  of  such  size  and 
dimensions  as  to  be  displayed  with  our  national  colors  on  all 
suitable  occasions.  Then  the  oft-repeated  questions:  Have 
we  a  state  flag?  What  does  it  look  like?  And  is  the  governor's 
the  same?    will  no  longer  be  a  bewildering  problem. 

175 


Folklore    of    Springfield 


To  each  and  every  loyal  Vermonter  it  would  seem  a 
knowledge  of  our  flag  were  a  necessary  part  of  our  education. 
As  we  seldom  see  it  displayed  our  information  must  come 
from  other  sources. 

Chapter  26  of  the  Laws  of  1803:  "An  act  establishing  the 
flag  of  the  militia  of  this  state,  it  is  hereby  enacted  by  the 
General  Assembly  of  the  State  of  Vermont,  that  from  and  after 
the  first  day  of  May,  A.  D.  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
four,  the  flag  of  this  state  be  seventeen  stripes,  alternate  red 
and  white;  that  the  union  be  seventeen  stars,  white,  in  a  blue 
field,  with  the  VERMONT  in  capitals  above  the  said  stripes 
and  stars." 

Section  1  of  the  Acts  of  1837:  "It  is  hereby  enacted  by  the 
General  Assembly  *  *  *  *  the  flag  of  this  state  be  thirteen 
stripes,  alternate  red  and  white;  that  the  union  be  one  large 
star,  white,  in  a  blue  field,  with  the  coat  of  arms  of  the  state 
of  Vermont  therein." 

Section  3  of  the  Acts  of  1862:  "The  flag  of  the  state 
shall  be  thirteen  stripes,  alternate  red  and  white;  the  union 
shall  be  one  large  star,  white,  in  a  blue  field,  with  the  coat  of 
arms  of  the  state  therein." 

Section  304  of  the  General  Laws.  1917:  "The  flag  of  the 
state  shall  be  thirteen  stripes,  alternate  red  and  white:  the 
union  shall  be  one  large  star,  white,  in  a  blue  field,  with  the 
coat  of  arms  of  the  state  therein." 

The  law  as  it  is  in  effect  at  the  present  time  reads  as  fol- 
lows: Acts  of  1919 — "The  flag  of  the  state  shall  be  thirteen 
stripes,  alternate  red  and  white;  the  union  shall  be  one  large 
five-pointed  star,  white,  in  a  blue  field,  with  the  coat  of  arms  of 
the  state  therein." 


176 


Our    State    and    Governor's    Flags 

The  flag  of  our  governor  is  the  state  seal  on  a  field  of 
blue,  without  the  stripes.  His  Excellency,  like  all  governors, 
is  the  executive  of  the  state  only,  and  the  stripes  belong  to  the 
nation.  We,  being  one  of  the  states  of  the  Union,  can  have  the 
stripes  on  our  State  flag  alone. 

State  Seals — Old  and  New 
In  our  state  seal  we  have  a  unique  design.    The  first  one, 
crude  as  it  appears,  was  used  until  1821,  when  the  "cow"  was 


first  state  seal 
used  until  1821 


- 

present  state 
seal 


brought  over  the  fence  into  the  field  of  grain,  and  the  seal 
began  to  take  on  a  more  artistic  appearance.  To  all  true  Ver- 
monters  it  stands  today  as  the  most  impressive  seal  of  all  the 
states. 


177 


Inde 


\ 


—  A  - 

Page  No. 

Abenaqui    Indians 3 

Adams    &    Bundy 9 

Allbee,     Gratia 108 

Allbee,     Sophia 98 

Allen,    Dexter 68 

Allen,    Capt.    Ebenezer 64 

Amherst,    Lord   Jeffrey,    4,    116,    156, 
169 

Artists 67    to   71 

Atwood,    Drusilla 96 

—  B  — 

Bailey,    G.    W.     (Rev.) 114 

Barnard,    E.   Wellman 60,    145 

Barnard,    George 146,    166 

Barnard,    Henry 37,    92,    132 

Barnard,     Jennison,     123,     128,     131, 

146 

Barnard,    John    J 92 

Barnard,    Julia    N 93 

Barnard,     Mary    E 114 

Barney,  Franklin   (Mrs.),  9,   31,   146, 

158 

Barrett,    Betsey 140,    141 

Barrett,  Col.  John,   7,   44,  45,   63,   85, 

137,    141,    156,    166 

Barrett,    Moses 132 

Barrett,    Thomas 19,    92 

Bates,    Hattie    E 93 

Bates,     Jim 77 

Bates,    Josiah 45 

Bates,    Lieut.    Lewis 45 

Bates,    Moses 77 

Bates,    Lieut.    Roger,    18,    59,    60,    75 

Beardsley,  Rev.   R.  A 61 

Belknap,    Hezekiah 67 

Belknap,    Zedekiah 67,    68 

Belknap,    Josiah 45,    89 

Belknap,     William 159 

Bells 14,    40,    41,   42 

Bennett,     George 99 

Bettergneaw 149 

Bingham,   John   C 45 

Bingham,     Sarah 36 


Page  No. 
Bisbee,    Capt.    Abner,    18,    46,   47,    51, 

60,    84,    145,    161,    166,    172 

Bisbee,  Lieut.   John 46,   47,   110 

Bisbee,    Jonah 22 

Bixby,     Adonijah 47 

Black     River 2 

Blake,    Irving 132 

Blake,   Timothy  Jr 171 

Blanchard,     Stephen 41 

Blockhouse,   5,   6,   116,    145,    155,    156, 

169,  171 
Blockhouse   Farm    (Butterfield),   137, 

144,    145,    156 

Boston,    Cato 66 

Bourne,     Elizabeth     E.      (Mrs.     Joel 

Woodbury) 93 

Boutelle  House 139,   157 

Bowen,    Marcia 104 

Bowen,    Henry 104 

Boynton,    D.    J 140 

Boynton,   Jewett 134 

Bradford,    Andrew 53 

Bradley,    Elsie 106 

Bragg,    Nicholas 47,    83 

Bragg,   William    47,   53 

Bragg's    Hill 106 

Bridge,    Button 31 

Bridge,    Lockwood's    (Falls),    27,    28, 

29,    30 

Bridge,     White's     (Fisher's) 31 

Britton,   Jotham 108 

Brown,    Abel ' 79 

Brown,    Adna 37,    151 

Brown,    Adna    (Mrs. ) 36 

Brown,    Albert 112 

Brown,  Elisha,   47,   48,   108,    138,    144 

Brown,   Enoch 139 

Brown,     Jonathan 139 

Brown,    Marcia 113 

Brown,    Nell 105,    114 

Brown,    William 53 

Bryant,   W.  L 153 

Bundy,    Horace 71 

Bundy,    Horace    Jr 71 

Burgess,    Dyer    (Rev. ) 92 

Burgess,    Nathaniel 108 

Burke,    Edmund    C 110 


Index 


Page  No. 

Burke,    Olivia 110,    113 

Burke,    Russell 110 

Burke,    Udna 38 

Burr,    Asahel 151: 

Butterfield,    Charles 2> 

Butterfield,    Ernest   W 117,    166 

Button     Bridge 31 

—  C  — 

Cab-Ellis   Co-operative   Works..    133 

Cady,    Emma 107 

Camp    Hill 173 

Carley,    Mary    Ann 147 

Carlisle,    Daniel 155 

Case,    Emanuel 84 

Cemetery,    Crown    Point 55 

Cemetery,    Eureka 60 

Cemetery,  Field   &   Lockw  ooii ....    57 

Cemetery,    Parker   Hill 56 

Cemetery,    Pine   Grove,    No.    Spring- 
field        5 ! 

Cemetery,    Summer    Hill,    37,    44,    61 

Chandler,     Sarah 34 

Charter,    Original 155,    156 

Chase    Block 12 

Chase,    Clinton 110 

Chase,     Leonard 109 

Chase,    Moses 48,    1 30 

Cheshire    Bridge 11,   26,    27 

Chipman,    Nathaniel 155 

Chipman,    Sam 16,    160 

Chittenden,    Daniel 104 

Chittenden,     James 53 

Choate,    B.    B 152 

Church,    Baptist 42,    69 

Church,    Catholic 113,    114 

Church,    Congregational...     158,    159 
Church,    Methodist,     12,     13,     14,     39, 
50,    108,    109,    120,    155,    156,    158, 
166 

Clark,     Elisha 83 

Closson,     Gershom 37 

Closson,     Henry 110 

Closson,     Ichabod 56 

Cobb,     Dr.     Samuel,     32,     34,    83,     85, 
150 

Coburn,    Ansel 12,    16 

Cocoonery 134,     135,     136 

Colburn     Elm 32 

Colburn,    Robert 55,    107,    115 


Page  No. 
Common,    17,    18,    19,  20,   21,   22,   23, 

37,    76,    106,    115,    123,    127,    140, 

157,   163 

Cone,     William 44 

Constitution    of    Vermont 154 

Cook,    Capt.    Philip 35 

Cook,   Thomas 140 

Corlew,    Thomas 44 

Cotton,    Ursula 108 

Counterfeit    Money 147 

Crain,    Dr.    Eleazer,    23,    37,    79,    152 

Crain,    Helen    ( Porter » 16 

Crain,    Noble 9 

Crain,    Sarah 37 

Crown    Point    Marker 116 

Crown   Point  Road,  4,   10,   46,  51,  52, 

74,   75,   77,  78,  83,   116,    117,   149, 

156,    164,    167,    169,    170,    173 
Cushing,    Daniel 15 

D 

Damon,   Elias 100,    101 

Dana,    B.    F 36.   72 

Dana,    B.    F.    (Mrs.) 16 

Dana,     Tom 100 

D.    A.    R.,    Gen.   Lewis   Morris   Chap- 
ter     61,    129 

Darrah,    Daniel 79 

Dartt,    Elizabeth 105 

Dartt,    Hon.    Justus,     10,    96,    98,    107 

Davidson,    John 151 

Davis,    Joshua 159,     160 

Deeds 61,     136 

DeMary,   John 16 

Downer,    Dr 145,    149,    150 

Draper,    Ashabel 123,    124 

Dressel,    Herman 115 

Dresser,    George 113 

Duncan,     Miles 9 

Dyke,     Nathaniel 44 

Dyke,     William 44 

E 

Eaton,    Belle 96,    97 

Eaton,    Ellis 16 

Eaton,    Everett 38 

Eddy,    Charles    1! 99 

Elliot,     Carrie 104 

Elliot,    Rachel 104 

Ellis,    Isaac 93.    108 

Ellis,    J.    Lincoln 110,    140 


Index 


Page  No. 

Ellis,   Joel    A.    H 151 

Ellis,   Joseph   Whitcomb,    75,   93,   107 

Ellison,   F.   G 8,    15 

Emery,    Mrs.   Achsa 128 

Eureka,    60,    61,    74,   83,    84,    91,    120, 

123,   126,   128,   131,   140,  146,   147, 

150,    156,    163,    166 

—  F  — 

Fairbanks,    Oliver 48,    77 

Fay,    Jonas 129 

Fellows,    E.    R 98 

Fellows  Gear  Shaper  Co. .  .    131,   153 

Ferry,    Ashley 131 

Ferry,    Wentworth's 123 

Field,   Arthur 163,    164 

Field,    Daniel,    57,    58,    139,    142,    163, 

165 

Field,    Fred   G 53,    95 

Field,    Hannah   Whitman...    58,    143 

Field,    Walbridge 110 

Finney,    Ranie 98 

Fisher,    Frances    H 104 

Fisher,   Isaac,    10,    11,    12,    15,  27,   31, 

134 

Fisher,    Isaac    Jr 158 

Flags,    Governor's 175,    177 

Flags,    State 175,    176 

Fletcher,    Aaron    Dean 68,    69 

Fletcher,    Chas 68 

Fletcher,    Daniel 147 

Fletcher,    Henry 68 

Fling,    Lester 8,    19,    106 

Folklore   Tales 120  to   150 

Forbush,    Charles 37 

Frost,    Pinckney    (Rev.) 152 

Frost,    Rosella 100 

Fullam,    A.   J.,   22,   23,    132,    133,   152 


Gaylord   Fund 87,   88 

Gaylord,    Moses 75,    87 

Gill,   Daniel   A 5,  84,   90,   172 

Gill,   Daniel   A.    (Mrs.   Theda  Tower) 
38 

Gill,    Major   John 97 

Gill,    Whitford 77,    173 

Gill,   Mercy  Whitford 172,    173 

Gilman,   F.    B 152 

Gilman    &    Son 153 

Glynn,    Isaac 49 


Page  No. 

Glynn,     Jonas 35 

Goffe,    General...    4,    6,    46,    116,    170 

Goodnow,    Myra 98 

Gould's    Mills 77,    120 

Graham,    Dana 104 

Graham,    Mary 91 

Gregory,    Isaac 80 

Griffith,    William 8 

Grimes,    Ichabod 10 

Grinnell,    Moses    H 152 

Griswold,    Daniel 53 

Griswold,    Daniel   Jr 95 

Griswold,     Lucinda 96 

Guernsey,    L.    T 152 

—  H  — 

Hale,    Benjamin    106 

Hale,   Col.   Enoch 25,  26 

Hall,    Caleb 140 

Hall,     Mary 161 

Hall,     Mattie 114 

Hammond,    Luther 76 

Harlow,    Bradford 107 

Harlow,    David 100 

Harlow,    Levi 128 

Harlow,    Lucius 100,    103 

Harrington,     Judge 64 

Harriman,     Page 172 

Hartness,    James 61,    153 

Hasham,    Steven 11,    13 

Haskell,    Abbie    (Mrs.) 112 

Haskell,    Clara   W 91 

Haskins,     Samuel 108 

Hawkins,    Horace 158 

Hawley,     Lizzie 93 

Hawkes,    Freelove 106 

Hayes,    L.    S 138,    139,    165 

Haywood,    John 53 

Haywood,    Paul 53 

Heminway,    Samuel 92,    105 

Herrick,   Elizabeth 28 

Herrick,    R.    S 106,    115 

Herrick,     Samuel 167 

History,    Thumbnail 154   to   174 

History,    National    and    Civil...     155 

Hoard,   Charles   Brooks 167 

Holden,     Jane 93 

Holden,    Capt.    William 55 

Holmes,     Lieut.     Hezekiah,      17,      82, 
156 

Holmes,    John    C 105,    158 

Holmes,   Orsamus 18,   59,   60 


Index 


Page  No. 

Holmes,    Rebecca    Safford 65 

Holt,    Charles 76,    98,    102 

Holt    House 107 

Hotel,    Black    River 79 

Houghton,    Daniel 9 

Houses,  Old...    137   to   140,    157,    165 

Howe,  Daniel 8,  120,   122 

Howe,    Eli 98 

Howe,  Elizabeth   (Palchl,  8,  120,  122 

Howe,    Ellen    M 110 

Howe,    Horace 98 

Howe,     Isaac 98 

Howe,   Sarah   V 98,   104,   108 

Howe,    Selina 98,    107 

Hoyt,     F.     S 110 

Hubbard,    Calvin    (M.    D.I,    92,    130, 
159 

Hubbard,    Elizabeth 92,    110 

Hubbard,  Capt.    George 18,   84 

Hubbard,    Horace 49,    110 

Hubbard,    Ruth 131 

Hunt,   Col.    Samuel 141,    142 

Hunt,    Public    Wolf 142 

—  I  — 

Indians,    Abenacui 3,    165 

Inventors 151,    153,    167 

--  J  — 

Jacobs,    Stephen 63 

Jenkins,    Lucia 114 

—  K   - 

Keith,    Simeon 53,    54 

Kemfield,   Shem 149,    150 

Kilburn,   John 165 

Kirk,     William 54 

Knight,    Dr.   E.    A 132 

L 

Larabee,    C.    K.    (Mrs.  1 36 

LaFontaine,    Mark    C 116,    119 

Lake,    Jonathan 49 

Lee,    Richard    ( Rev.  i 54,  73 

Leland,     Joshua 96 

Leland,    Marcel  la 96 

Leland,    Thomas 54,  55 


Page  No. 

Lewis,    Deacon 145,    146 

Lewis,    James 138 

Lewis,    Samuel 8,    9 

Litchfield,     James 140 

Litchfield  Hill    (Hillcrest)    166 

Litchfield,    Lucy    (Perkins 1 168 

Litchfield,    Otis 168 

Little,    Capt.   Joseph,    17,   18,    47,   49, 
59,   75,   94,   155,    162 

Lockwood,     Henry 58 

Lockwood,    Nathan 140 

Lockwood,  William,   7,   10,   61,  84,  85 
Lockwood's  Bridge...    27,   28,   29,   30 

Lockwood's    Falls 76 

Lyman,     Gideon 155 

Lynde,    Lieut.    Benjamin....    49,    126 
Lynde,   Eliot 76,    139 


M 


Martin,    Dexter 95 

Martin,    Ephriam 54 

Martin,    Frank    D 95 

Martin,   James 75,   87 

Martin,    Joseph 60 

Martin,     William 87 

Mason,    Alvin 153 

Mason,    Henry 37 

Mason,  Henry    (Mrs.  i 37 

Masonic   Lodge 45,   76,    78,    157 

Matthews,    Dinah 64 

Maynard,     Lemuel 108 

McRoberts,    Margaret 87 

Merritt,     George 102 

Messer,     Joseph 135 

Messenger,   Joseph    (Mrs.  I 36 

Meeting  House   (First,  East  l,   17,  18, 

19,  21,  74,  75,  76,  123,  147,  157 
Meeting  House,  First  Methodist,   135 

Miller,    Abijah 83 

Miller,    James   Harrington 49 

Miller,    Samuel 155 

Miner,    James 24 

Monument   Hill 120,    123,    174 

Morris,    Gen.    Lewis,    26,    63,    68,    77, 

85,    129.    130.    138,    139.    155,    159 

Morris    (Gould's  I    Mills 77,    104 

Morris,    Richard 130,    159,    172 

Morton,    Daniel   O.,    (Rev.  1 158 

Morton,     Levi 158 

Mt.     Ararat 174 

Mt.    Ephraim 173 


Index 


Page  No. 

—  N  — 

New   Connecticut 154 

Nichols,    Eunice 92 

Nichols,    Fannie 84 

Nicholas,    Levi 49 

Nott,  John 3,  4,    44 

Nourse,    John 40 

—  O  — 

Oakes,   David 49 

—  P  — 

Panther    Rock 145 

Parker  Hill 75,   76,    100,    101 

Parker,   Lieut.   Isaac,    56,  76,  100,  101 

Parker,    Jeremiah 55 

Parker,    Leonard 76 

Parker,    Silas 57 

Parker,    Stella,..    103,    106,    108,    110 
Parks   &  Woolson   Machine   Co.,    153 

Perham,    Joseph 49 

Perkins,    Prof.    G.    H 117 

Perkins,    John 9,    105 

Perkins,    J.    0 133 

Pettengill,    Edward   H 107 

Picknell,    George 69,    70 

Picknell,    Rev.    William    L. . .    69,    70 

Picknell,    Wm.   Jr 69 

Pierce,   Flora 96,  97,    104 

Pierce,    Frances 115 

Pierce,    Matthew 54 

Porter,  Ann  Emerson  (Mrs^  Charles) 
71,   72,   107 

Porter,    Charles 71,    72 

Porter,   Frederick 9,  10,   136 

Porter,   Frederick   (Mrs.) 37 

Porter,   Judge   Samuel   W. .  .    14,   160 

Postoffice 160 

Powers,    Asahel 50,    97 

Powers,   Hiram 66 

Powers,    Stephen 66 

Powers,    Col.    Thomas 65,    66 

Prentiss,    Flora 114 

Prouty,   Lucia 98 

—  R  — 

Railroad,   Underground..    64,   65,    66 

Ranstead,    Rufus 107 

Remington,     Samuel 24 

Revolutionary  Soldiers....    43  to   61 


Page  No. 

Rice,    Daniel    (Mrs.) 16 

Rice,   Daniel 37,    72,    73 

Road,     Potwine's 119 

Road,   County 75,    119 

Rounds,     Ella 96 

Rounds,    Judge  William 96 

Royce,    Emily 110 


Sabin,    Charles 9 

Safford,     Bigelow 112 

Safford,    Emma 114 

Safford,     Henry 112 

Safford,     Mary 36 

Safford,    Noah,    64,    65,    66,    152,    167 

Safford,    Lieut.    Philip 57 

Safford,    Rebecca 65,    110,    112 

Sartwell,    Jacob 50 

Sartwell,    Oliver 50,    84 

Sawyer,    Nathaniel 50 

Schools 81,    115 


Distr 
Distr 
Distr 
Distr 
Distr 
Distr 
Distr 
Distr 
Distr 
Distr 
Distr 


ctNo.    1,    Walker...     90,    91 
ct  No.    2,    Eureka...     91,    92 

ctNo.    3,     Cragin 93 

ctNo.    4,     Baker 93 

ct  No.  5,      No.  Springfield,  94 
ct  No.  6,     Spencer  Hollow,  97 

ctNo.    7 89,    106,    113 

ctNo.    8 107,    113 

ctNo.    9,    Slab    City 99 

ct  No.  10,    Scrabble 99 

ctNo.  11,    Merritt.  .  .     98,    99 


District  No.  12,    Bush 104 

District  No.  13,     Dutton 103 

District  No.  13,       Springfield      and 

Chester 94,     103 

District  No.  13,      Springfield      and 

Weathersfield 94,    103 

District  No.  14,     105,    106 

District  No.  15,     Parker    Hill,     89, 

100 

District  No.  16 89,    112,    113 

District  No.  17 89,    105,   106 

District  No.  18,   Gould's  Mills,    104, 

105 
District  No.  19,   Gill...    90,  91,   105 

High 114,    155 

Old    109 

Private 107,     112 

Town    System 114 

Scott,    Phineas 44 


Index 


Page  No. 

Scott,    Capt.    Samuel 51,    161 

Seals,     State 177 

Searle,    David 83,   84 

Selden,    Joseph 74 

Seminary,    Fletcher 147,    148 

Seminary,    Wesleyan 13 

Seymour 8 

Sherman,    Edgar    (Judge) 100 

Slack,    Burke   &    Whitmore 133 

Slavery 62    to    66 

Smiley,   Father  Robinson,   12,   19,  46, 

68,    76,    83,   86,    91.    92,    123,    124, 

125,    126,    127,    128,    139 

Reception    of 123 

Smiley,    Jane 92 

Smiley,  Mother,       68,  84,  123,  126,  127 

Smith,    David    M 151 

Smith,   Hiram  Moore 167 

Smith,    Isaac    B 152 

Smith,     Joseph 152 

Smith,    Miles 151 

Society   House  of    Worship 101 

Spellman,    Frank 133 

Spencer   Hollow 7  7,    164 

Spencer,    Mary 99 

Spencer,   Simeon...    51,   97,   164,    165 

Spencer,   Taylor 51,    84,    97,    164 

Spencer,   Timothy 51,    97,    164 

Springfield..    155,   156,    157,   158.    160 

Springfield   House 79.   80 

Springfield,    North 79,    103,   140 

Springfield    Wesleyan    Seminary,    13, 

93,   108  to   113 

Springfield,    West 77 

Stark,    John 24 

Steamboats 160 

Steele,   Hattie 92,    104 

Steele,    Samuel 55,    56 

Stevens,    Capt.    Samuel 27 

Stevens,  Capt.   Simon,   51,  52,   78,  82, 

84,   124,    161,    166,   172 

Stevens,      Fannie 92 

Stevens,    Sarah 82 

Stimson,    David 44 

Stocks 75 

Stone-,    Joseph 44 

Stoughton,    Edward 20,    21 

Stoughton,    Henry 20,   21 

Stoughton,    Thomas 20 

Streeter,    Rev.    Russell 102 

Sundial 166 

Swett,  Joseph 170,    171 


Page  No. 

—  T  — 

Tannery 160 

Taverns 74   to   80 

Tavern,    Gaylord 75 

Tavern,    Joel    Griswold 79,    80 

Tavern,   Holt 76,    138,   139 

Tavern,    Wales 79 

Tavern,    Williams 79 

Taylor,    Isabella 161 

Taylor,    Luke   W 152 

Taylor,     Martha 93 

Taylor,    Samuel 13,    110 

Temple,    Frederick 44 

Tenney,    Elizabeth    L 91 

Thanksgiving    Proclamations...     129 

Thomas,     Isaac 155 

Tolles,    Mary 107 

Tontine 11 

Tory   Hole 148,    149,    150 

Tower,    Abbie 110 

Tower,    Henrietta 103 

Tower,    Jane    S 113 

Tower,     Stoddard 38 

Town    Meeting,    First 161 

Trails,     Indian 24 

Trees..    32,   33,  34,  35,  36,  37,   38,   73 

—  V  - 

Vermont 154,    155 

Village  Falls  Mfg.   Co 131 

—  W 

Walker,    Ephraim 105,    173 

Walker,     Gracia 93 

Walker,    Sergt.    John 57,    77 

Walker,    Leonard 76,    140 

Walker,     Mason 143 

Warren,   Herbert    M 152 

Warren,     Jesse 152 

Washburn,    George 15,    16 

Watkins,   G.    A 152 

Weatherhead,    F.     S 153 

Weathervanes 39,    40 

Wells.    Ashabel 74 

Wells    and    Newell 147 

Wentworth,    Benning,   3,   24,   81,    156, 

169,    170 
Wentworth's   Ferry,    5,    24,    116,    123, 

160,    171 
Wesleyan    Seminary,    13,  39,  148.  155, 

158 


Index 


Page  No. 
Weston,    Nathaniel..    52,    53,    84,    85 

Wheeler,    Alice 114 

Wheeler,    Nathan 132 

Wheeler,    Store  of   W.  H.,   9,    10,    76, 
157 

Whipple,   James 9,    76,   91 

Whipple,  James   Jr 76,    77 

Whitcomb,    Arthur 10 

Whitcomb,    Ezekial 36,    136,    159 

Whitcomb,    Henry 37 

Whitcomb,    Peres 99 

Whitcomb,    Sarah 37 

White,    Amelia 94 

White,    Delia 114 

White,    Emma 104 

White,    John 10 

White,     Joseph 110 

White,    Jotham 45,    62,    63,    77 

White,    Rachel 105 

Whitmore,    Hamlin 125 

Whitney,    Abner 44 


Page  No. 

Whitney,    Elijah 128 

Whitney,   Deacon  Lemuel,   18,  60,  150 
Whitney,    James — diary    of,    20,    21, 
36,    145,   157,   162,   163 

Whitney,    J.    Emeline 91 

Whitney,    Luthera 77,    105 

Whitney,    William  Wilson 91 

Wilder,    Betsey 96 

Williams,    Col.    Jonathan....    10,    79 

Williams,    Louisa 112 

Williams,    Timothy 94 

Wiswell,    Isaac 166 

Women,     Pioneer 140 

Wood,    Harvey    C.    (Rev.) 110 

Woodbury,    George 83 

Woodbury,    Jonathan 152 

Woolson,    Amasa 14,    151 

Woolson,    W.    D 133 

Wright,    Ephraim 65 

Wright,    Harriet 103 

Writers 71    to    73 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  LOS  ANGELES 
THE  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 

This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below 


OCT  *      ^ 


gL    APR 

Wit 


W281973 


'M  2  9  1978 


IS» 


Form  I.-O 


UNIVERSITY  OK  CALIFORNIA 

AT 

LOS  ANGELES 


■™™|l8oi™4^Wo1 


. 


A    001337  387 


